2-  ./^'.  18 . 


K  PRINCETON,  N.J.  # 


Presented   h^t)\  a  ^<7\  Vc\ T)  U-^^\ "<S  \ c\  ,  :D  .Tl  . 

BX  9211  .N70011  F506  1916   ) 
First  Presbyterian  Church   I 

(New  York,  N. Y. ) 
The  services  in  celebration 

ot  the  two  hundredth 


1716-1916 

THE   BI-CENTENNIAL   BOOK 

Old  First  Presbyterian  Church 

in  the 
City  of  New  York 


THE  SERVICES 

in   celebration   of   the 

Two  Hundredth  Anniversary 

of  the  founding  of  the 

Old  First  Presbyterian  Church 

in  the 

City  of  New  York 


PFF<   lA  1070 


In  the  Church 
FIFTH  AVENUE,  ELEVENTH  to  TWELFTH  STREETS 

December  1916 


^ 


LET    US    NOW    PRAISE    FAMOUS   MEN    AND    OUR 
FATHERS    THAT    BEGAT    US. 


THE   LORD   HATH   WROUGHT  GREAT   GLORY   BY 
THEM    THROUGH    HIS    GREAT    POWER     FROM 
THE     BEGINNING. 

LEADERS  OF  THE  PEOPLE  BY  THEIR  COUNSELS 
AND  BY  THEIR  KNOWLEDGE  OF  LEARNING 
MEET  FOR  THE  PEOPLE,  WISE  AND  ELOQUENT  IN 
THEIR    INSTRUCTIONS. 

THERE     BE    OF     THEM,    THAT     HAVE     LEFT    A 
NAME   BEHIND   THEM,    THAT    THEIR   PRAISES 
MIGHT    BE    REPORTED. 

AND    SOME    THERE    BE,    WHICH   HAVE    NO    ME- 
MORIAL;   WHO    ARE    PERISHED   AS    THOUGH 
THEY    HAD    NEVER    BEEN. 

BUT     THESE     WERE     MERCIFUL     MEN     WHOSE 
RIGHTEOUSNESS    HATH    NOT    BEEN    FORGOT- 
TEN. 

THEIR     SEED     STANDETH     FAST,     AND     THEIR 
CHILDREN    FOR    THEIR    SAKES. 


^ 


THE  FOUNDERS 
"The  small  body  of  Presbyterians  kept 
together  and  continued,  with  few  interrup- 
tions, and  with  a  gradual  increase  of  their 
number,  to  meet  for  worship,  without  a 
minister  until  the  year  1716,  when 

JOHN  NICOLE,  PATRICK  McKNIGHT, 

GILBERT  LIVINGSTONE, 

THOMAS  SMITH 

and  a  few  others  conceived  the  plan  of 
forming  themselves  into  a  regular  Presbyter- 
ian Church  and  calling  a  stated  pastor." 

MEMOIRS  OF  REV.  JOHN  RODGERS,  D.D. 
By  SAMUEL  MILLER,  D.D. 


THE  PASTORS 

1717  James  Anderson  1726 

1727  Ebenezer  Pemberton  1753 

1750  Alexander  Gumming  1753 

1756  David  Bostwick  1763 

1762  Joseph  Treat  1776 

1765  John  Rodgers  1811 

1785  James  Wilson  1788 

1789  John  McKnight  1809 

1793  Samuel  Miller  1813 

1805  Philip  Milledoler  1805 

1815  Philip  Melancthon  Whelpley      1824 

1826  William  Wirt  Phillips  1865 

1866  William  Miller  Paxton  1883 

1886  Richard  Davenport  Harlan  1890 

1891  Howard  Duffield 


THE  RULING  ELDERS 

1784  John  Broome  1810 

1790  Daniel  Phoenix  1812 

1800  John  Keese  1809 

1800  John  R.  B.  Rodgers  1833 

1809  David  Gelston  1828 

1809  Robert  Lenox  1839 

1809  Robert  McGill  1831 

1809  Peter  Ludlow  1828 

1809  David  L.  Dodge  1819 

1812  John  P.  Mumford  1820 

1820  James  Anderson  1831 

1820  Alexander  Nichols  1828 

1825  Daniel  Boardman  1833 

1825  William  Sterling  1843 

1833  James  Patton  1846 

1833  James  Lenox  1880 

1833  Aaron  R.  Thompson  1880 

1846  John  V.  Talmage  1852 

1846  Milton  St.  John  1859 

1846  Walter  Lowrie  1868 

1846  James  Donaldson  1872 

1846  Aaron  B.  Belknap  1880 

1868  Joseph  Greenleaf  1871 

1868  FiNDLAY  Wright  1881 

1868  Latimer  Bailey  1885 

1868  Hezekiah  King  1887 

1868  Samuel  Frost  1888 

1885  Eugene  McJimsey  1899 

1885  Richard  H.  Bull  1892 

1885  Samuel  C.  Brush  1887 

1888  Robert  Ferguson  1899 

1888  Edwin  J.  Hanks  1890 

1888  Charles  M.  Jesup  1896 

1892  Julius  S.  Howell  1897 

1892  Thomas  Greenleaf  1908 


1892  Oscar  E.  Boyd                                    1905 

1895  Frank  Hallett  Lovell                    1914 

1895  Frederick  Blume                               1905 

1897  Albert  Remick                                   1900 

1899  James  Girvan                                    1915 

1899  D.  Stuart  Dodge  Jessup 

1901  J.  D.  T.  Hersey                                 1902 

1901  Calvin  W.  Hendrick                         1907 

1901  Henry  D.  Dickson  1905 

1902  Charles  H.  Olmstead  1916 

1902  Walter  W.  Strang  1904 

1903  William  J.  Hendrick  1912 
1903  Roger  H.  Williams 

1903  Edgar  Fenton                                     1908 

1905  Frederick  A.  Carpenter 

1905  John  T.  Stanley                                1908 

1905  Joseph  E.  Messenger                        1909 

1905  F.  GusTAv  Kindlund  1916 

1906  John  W.  Farrington  1912 
1906  James  Henry 

1906  James  D.  Miller 

1912  James  K.  Andrews 

1912  Henry  Brown                                     1913 

1912  Paul  Caldwell 

1913  Charles  E.  Davis 
1913  Robert  G.  Parr 
1915  Henry  C.  Martin 
1917  William  Read  Hersey 


FOREWORD 

"Auspicante  Deo,"  "By  the  favor  of  God."  So  runs  the 
opening  sentence  of  the  Votive  Tablet  erected  by  our  fathers 
in  1749  to  commemorate  their  gratitude  for  the  founding  of 
the  Church  and  its  preservation  amid  perils  which  threatened 
its  continuance. 

"Auspicante  Deo,"  "By  the  favor  of  God,"  the  Two  Hun- 
dredth Anniversary  of  the  establishment  of  Presbyterianism 
in  the  City  of  New  York  by  the  organization  of  the  Old  First 
Church,  was  celebrated  during  the  week  beginning  December 
the  third,  Nineteen  Hundred  and  Sixteen.  The  unique  sig- 
nificance of  this  occasion  was  emphasized  by  a  formal  author- 
ization issued  by  the  Presbytery  of  New  York,  which  directed 
a  general  observance  of  the  event  in  all  the  Presbyterian 
Churches  of  the  City,  and  the  attendance  of  the  Presbytery  in  a 
body  at  the  special  Mid-Week  Festival  Service.  The  Synod 
of  New  York  took  cognizance  of  the  occasion  by  a  Vote  of 
Congratulation  and  the  appointment  of  a  Special  Representa- 
tive to  convey  to  the  Church  its  official  Greeting.  The  Mod- 
erator of  the  General  Assembly  was  present;  participated  in 
the  opening  services,  presided  at  the  Wednesday  night  func- 
tion, and  expressed  to  the  Old  First  Church  the  official  felici- 
tations of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  United  States  of 
America.  The  birth  of  Presbyterianism  in  the  metropolitan 
City  of  the  country  thus  received  official  recognition  both  from 
the  local  Church  and  the  Church  throughout  the  land. 

The  far  reaching  and  influential  touch  of  this  event  upon 
the  myriad  sided  life  of  the  town  during  the  past  two  cen- 
turies, was  signally  attested  by  the  presence  at  the  Celebration, 
of  the  representatives  of  all  phases  of  religious  opinion,  and 
all  lines  of  civic  activity,  and  all  classes  of  social  organization. 
The  President  and  Ex-Presidents  of  the  United  States  sent 
letters  of  personal  congratulation.  The  Governor  of  the  State, 
the  Heads  of  the  City  Government,  Judges  of  the  Courts,  the 
General  of  the  Army,  the  Admiral  of  the  Navy,  Presidents  of 
Institutions  of  Learning,  Officers  of  the  Boards  of  the  Church, 


Representatives  of  other  Religious  Communions,  Delegates 
from  Patriotic  and  Historical  Societies  by  their  presence  com- 
bined to  infuse  the  Anniversary  with  a  metropolitan  and  cath- 
olic spirit  which  eloquently  bespoke  its  profound  meaning. 

Throughout  the  week  the  national  colors  were  displayed 
upon  the  Church  Tower.  During  all  the  days  the  sun  shone 
from  an  unclouded  sky.  Popular  interest  was  manifested  by 
the  crowded  attendance  at  every  service.  The  noble  and  stir- 
ring history  of  the  venerable  Church  was  recited.  The  mul- 
titudinous play  of  its  energy  upon  the  ecclesiastical  and  civic 
life  of  the  town  was  passed  in  review.  Thanksgiving  blended 
with  consecration.  The  review  of  the  past  brought  benedic- 
tion. The  outlook  upon  the  future  kindled  inspiration.  The 
grand  old  Church  was  revealed  in  the  light  of  its  story,  as  a 
fountain-head  of  blessing,  which  opened  by  the  grace  of  God 
when  the  town  was  young,  had  poured  forth  through  all  its 
years  an  unceasing  stream  of  vitalizing  beneficence ;  and, 
which,  saved  from  dissolution  by  the  hand  of  God,  was  pulsing 
with  the  hope,  that  beneath  God's  smile,  it  would  continue  to 
be  a  well-spring  of  yet  more  abundant  good,  so  long  as  the 
City  should  endure. 

Every  incident  of  this  notable  week  provokes  the  heartfelt 
petition  with  which  our  fathers  closed  their  Votive  Tablet : 

"Annuente  Christo 
Perduret  in  aevo  perpetuo." 

The  entire  Celebration  was  marked  by  a  spirit  of  dignity, 
simplicity  and  enthusiasm.  The  plan  was  carried  to  comple- 
tion without  a  flaw.  Every  assignment  was  met.  Every  in- 
tention was  realized.  This  completeness  of  success  was  in 
no  small  measure  due  to  the  patient  and  efficient  cooperation 
of  my  Secretary,  Miss  Dickinson ;  my  Assistant,  Mr.  Jaquith ; 
the  Musical  Director,  Dr.  Carl ;  the  Head  Usher,  Mr.  Neilson ; 
and  the  Sexton  of  the  Church,  Mr.  Lewis.  In  this  connection 
there  should  ever  be  kept  in  mind  the  name  of  Dr.  Harlan  G, 
Mendenhall,  Moderator  of  the  Presbytery  and  of  the  Synod  of 
New  York,  who,  both  ofificially  and  personally,  exerted  such  a 
wise  and  sympathetic  influence  in  determining  the  scope  and 

10 


method  of  the  Anniversary  festivities,  that  he  has  put  the  Old 
First  Church  and  the  Presbyterians  of  the  City  under  large 
and  lasting  obligation. 

The  printing  of  this  Bi-Centennial  Book,  which  preserves 
in  permanent  form  an  invaluable  Record  of  the  Celebration,  is 
wholly  due  to  the  characteristic  generosity  of  Mr.  Charles 
Mortimer  Jesup,  formerly  an  Elder  of  the  Church,  and  always 
the  Friend  and  Helper  of  its  Pastor. 

Howard  Duffield. 


n 


COMMEMORATION  DAY 

Sunday,  December  the  Ninth,  9.30  A.  M. 

The  Service  in  the  Sunday  School 

The  Old  First  Church  of  the  future  Hes  latent  in  the  Bible 
School  of  to-day.  Because  of  this  fact  it  seemed  fitting  that  in 
the  Bible  School  the  initial  note  of  the  Celebration  should  be 
struck.  The  first  half  hour  of  the  regular  session  was  de- 
voted to  an  observance  of  the  Anniversary.  Mr.  Harold  C. 
Jaquith,  the  Pastor's  Assistant,  in  charge  of  the  School,  gave  a 
brief  sketch  of  the  founding  of  the  Church,  its  early  struggles 
on  Wall  Street,  its  growth,  its  removal  to  the  cathedral-like 
structure  on  Fifth  Avenue,  and  the  erection  of  the  present 
Chapel.  Attention  was  called  to  the  Votive  Tablet  now  in  the 
vestibule  of  the  Church,  and  with  that  as  a  text,  a  few  remarks 
were  made  concerning  the  unusual  heritage  of  the  Old  First. 
The  responsibilities  resting  upon  the  young  people  to  foster 
and  loyally  to  support  the  Old  First  Church  and  to  foster  its 
growth  as  the  historic  organization  passed  into  the  third 
century  of  its  usefulness,  were  earnestly  presented.  The 
Commemorative  Services  of  the  coming  week  were  explained, 
and  a  hearty  invitation  extended  to  all  members  of  the  School 
with  their  parents  to  attend. 

Dr.  Duffield  was  present  at  the  closing  exercises  of  the 
School  and  made  a  short  address,  speaking  of  the  rare  priv- 
ilege which  was  conferred  upon  all  who  were  associated  with 
such  an  historic  Church ;  of  the  beauty  and  the  preciousness 
of  that  legacy  of  prayer  and  faith  which  had  come  down 
through  an  ancestry  of  devoted  men  and  women,  who  for 
two  hundred  years  had  loyally  uplifted  the  banner  of  the  cross 
in  the  heart  of  this  great  City, — and  of  the  obligation  which 
now  rested  upon  every  member  of  the  Church  family,  young 
and  old,  to  make  a  record  which  when  read  in  the  light  of  the 
after  time  should  be  of  a  piece  with  the  thrilling  story  which 
those  who  preceded  us  had  written. 

12 


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^^^HW^^    ■  ■  »  ..                  '       VN 

^^m                  ''^^ 

COMMEMORATION  DAY 

Sunday,  December  the  Third,  11  A.  M. 

The  Morning  Service 

The  Bi-Centennial  Celebration  began  in  sunshine.  With- 
out, the  First  Church  was  bathed  in  hght.  Within,  the  Church 
was  beautiful  and  fragrant  with  floral  offerings,  the  gift  of  a 
former  parishioner.  Upon  the  Pulpit  wall,  the  national  colors 
and  the  City  flag  were  crossed.  At  the  intersection  of  the  flag 
staffs  was  a  shield  of  evergreen  bearing  the  cipher  of  the  Old 
First  Church.  Upon  the  wall  at  either  side  of  the  banners 
the  dates  "1716"  and  "1916"  were  blazoned  in  figures  of  red 
upon  a  background  of  evergreen.  When  the  Westminster 
Chime  pealed  from  the  Tower  and  the  opening  notes  of  the 
Organ  rolled  through  the  Church,  every  seat  was  occupied  with 
an  expectant  congregation. 

At  a  quarter  before  eleven  o'clock  the  officiating  Clergy 
assembled  in  the  Pastor's  Study.  Together  with  Dr.  Menden- 
hall.  Moderator  of  the  Presbytery  and  of  the  Synod,  and  Dr. 
Newman,  Special  Representative  of  the  Synod,  were  Dr. 
Forbes,  Stated  Clerk  of  the  Presbytery,  Dr.  Hoadley,  Per- 
manent Clerk  of  the  Presbytery,  Dr.  MacCracken,  Ex-Chan- 
cellor of  the  University  of  the  City  of  New  York,  Dr.  Mallery, 
and  Dr.  Stoddard. 

At  eleven  o'clock  the  Clergy  wearing  their  academic  robes 
entered  the  Church  in  procession  through  the  Chapel  doorway, 
and  preceded  by  Dr.  Duffield  and  his  Assistant  took  their  places 
in  the  Pulpit. 

The  Salutation  was  read  by  the  Pastor  and  the  Doxology 
was  sung  by  the  People. 

The  following  Invocation  was  delivered 

By  the  Reverend  Doctor  Jesse  F.  Forbes 

Stated  Clerk  of  the  Presbytery  of  New  York 

"Almighty  God,  Our  Heavenly  Father,  help  us  to  enter  into 

Thy  gates  with  thanksgiving  and  to  come  into  Thy  Courts  with 

13 


praise.  We  thank  Thee  for  the  past,  fraught  with  precious 
memories.  We  thank  Thee  for  the  present,  abounding  in 
opportunities  for  service.  We  thank  Thee  for  the  future, 
glorious  with  hope  before  us. 

"Bless  this  old  historic  Church.  Abide  with  and  watch  over 
our  Presbytery  and  the  whole  Presbyterian  fellowship.  Guide 
and  direct  Thy  people,  that  the  Lord  may  come  unto  His  King- 
dom, and  grant  that  the  riches  of  Thy  grace  may  rest  upon  us 
and  upon  all  the  household  of  God,  in  His  name  who  hath 
taught  us  to  pray ; 

r      "Our  Father  which  art  in  heaven,  hallowed  be  Thy  name, 
;    Thy  kingdom  come;  Thy  will  be  done  in  earth  as  it  is  in 
■    heaven ;  give  us  this  day  our  daily  bread ;  and  forgive  our  tres- 
passes as  we  forgive  those  who  trespass  against  us;  and  lead 
j    us  not  into  temptation,  but  deliver  us  from  evil;  for  Thine 
^is  the  kingdom,  and  the  power  and  the  glory,  forever.     Amen." 
■"        The  One  Hundred  and  Fifteenth  Psalm  was  sung  as  an 
Anthem  by  the  Choir. 

The   Seventy-Second   Psalm   was    read   responsively    led 
By  the  Reverend  Doctor  Charles  Payson  Mallery 

The  Thirty-fifth  Chapter  of  the  Prophecy  of  Isaiah  was  read 
as  a  Scripture  Lesson 

By  the  Reverend  Doctor  James  H.  Hoadley 
Permanent  Clerk  of  the  Presbytery  of  New  York 

Greeting  from  the  Presbytery  of  New  York 

By  the  Reverend  Doctor  Harlan  G.  Mendenhall 

Moderator  of  the  Presbytery  and  Synod  of  New  York 

"It  is  my  privilege  to  extend  to  the  Pastor  and  the  Officers 
and  Members  of  the  Old  First  Presbyterian  Church  the  greet- 
ings of  the  Presbytery  of  New  York  on  this  historic  day. 

"To  have  perpetuated  an  unbroken  church  life  in  this  City 
of  New  York  for  two  hundred  years  is  an  honor  extended  to 
but  very  few  similar  organizations  in  this  country ;  and  this 
Church  has  come  to  this  age,  with  eye  undimmed  and  with 
natural  force  unabated. 

14 


"You  are  linked,  my  friends,  in  your  church  Hfe,  with  the 
Protestant  Reformation  of  the  XVth  Century,  and  you  have  de- 
rived its  traits  direct  from  the  Church  of  Scotland,  with  which 
you  were  incorporated,  I  understand,  for  at  least  fifty  years. 

"You  are  congratulated  upon  being  the  Mother  of  all  the 
Churches  in  this  Presbytery  of  New  York,  now  numbering 
over  sixty,  with  a  Church  Membership  of  thirty-five  thousand. 
If  we  were  to  include  in  our  Presbytery,  the  Greater  City — 
as  the  Presbyteries  of  Chicago  and  Pittsburgh  have  done — 
this  Church  would  be  the  Mother  to-day  of  more  than  sixty 
thousand  Presbyterians  enrolled  in  our  Churches. 

"Your  membership  has  included  men  and  women  whose  lives 
have  been  identified  with  the  moral  and  material  development 
of  New  York  and  the  inspirers  of  those  Presbyterians  in  all 
our  Churches,  who  have  had  so  much  to  do  with  all  those 
higher  ideals  of  life,  that  have  led  to  righteousness  in  this 
metropolis  of  the  New  World. 

"We  are  not  forgetful  at  this  time  of  the  fact  that  your  un- 
broken life  has  been  due  very  largely  to  those  eminent  men 
who  have  been  your  Pastors.  That  you  have  had  only  ten  min- 
isters— I  believe  that  is  the  number — in  this  long  life,  shows 
how  illustrious  those  clergymen  were  who  occupied  this  pul- 
pit. Your  present  pastor  is  a  worthy  successor  of  those  emi- 
nent men.  He  came  to  you  in  one  of  the  most  critical  times. of 
your  history.  I  was  in  his  audience  twenty-five  years  ago  when 
he  began  his  task,  and  I  recall  the  enthusiasm  of  himself  and 
wife  as  he  began  what  has  since  proven  to  be  a  most  successful 
pastorate. 

"This  Church,  praise  be  to  our  Heavenly  Father,  is  secure 
for  the  coming  years ;  and  no  man  is  more  deserving  the  hon- 
or of  this  result  than  Dr.  Duffield,  who,  for  a  quarter  of  a  cen- 
tury, has  carried  on  this  splendid  work. 

"Recognizing,  therefore,  these  important  events  in  your 
history  and  the  life  of  your  honored  Pastor,  the  Presbytery  of 
New  York,  at  one  of  its  public  meetings,  made  formal  recog- 
nition of  its  congratulations  on  your  Anniversary  as  a  Church, 
and  on  the  Twenty-Fifth  Anniversary  of  the   Pastorate  of 

15 


Dr.  Duffield,  and  at  this  hour  and  on  this  Anniversary  Day,  in 
its  name — on  this  day  of  days  in  the  Calendar  of  your  Church 
life — I  bring  to  you  our  joy,  and  our  prayers  that  these  com- 
ing years  may  give  both  Pastor  and  people  the  victory  of 
service. 

"  'The  brightest  glories  earth  can  yield 
The  brighter  bliss  of  heaven.'  " 
*— .Then  was  sung  the  Hymn : 

"Ancient  of  Days,  who  sittest  throned  in  splendor." 

Doctor  Mendenhall  then  said : 

"We  will  now  listen  to  the  Greeting  from  the  Synod  of  New 
York.  It  is  brought  to  us  by  the  Reverend  Doctor  Arthur 
Newman,  Ex-Moderator  of  the  Synod,  and  Pastor  of  our 
Church  at  Bridgehampton,  Long  Island. 

"It  may  be  interesting  to  know  that  the  Church  at  Bridge- 
hampton is  just  a  little  older  than  the  First  Church  of  New 
York.  It  celebrated  its  two  hundredth  anniversary  in  Sep- 
tember last.  Dr.  Duffield  was  the  representative  of  the  Pres- 
bytery of  New  York  in  extending  greeting  on  that  happy  occa- 
sion. 

"The  Synod  of  New  York  takes  official  cognizance  of  this 
very  important  celebration  in  which  we  are  engaged,  and  could 
find  no  one  better  fitted  to  honor  us  than  our  dear  friend,  Dr. 
Newman,  who  will  now  speak  to  you." 

Greeting  from  the  Synod  of  New  York 
By  the  Reverend  Doctor  Arthur  H.  Newman 

"As  Moderator  of  the  Presbytery  of  New  York  and  in  a 
sense  at  the  head  of  Presbyterianism  in  New  York,  Dr.  Men- 
denhall ought  to  be  infallible.  I  shall  have  to  venture,  how- 
ever, to  correct  the  announcement  in  the  way  it  was  just  given. 
I  have  the  honor  to  belong  to  a  Church  that  is  almost  two 
Hundred  and  fifty  years  old,  and  I  am  its  ninth  pastor.  But 
last  September  the  Presbytery  of  Long  Island  celebrated  its 
Bi-centennial,  and  the  Synod  of  New  York  took  notice  of  that 
fact,  and  sent  a  representative  to  speak  for  it  on  that  occasion, 

16 


inasmuch  as  that  marked  the  beginning  of  organized  Presby- 
terianism  in  the  State  of  New  York. 

"To-day  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  in  New  York  City 
begins  to  celebrate  its  Bi-Centennial,  and  the  Synod  of  New 
York  takes  notice  of  that  fact  and  is  represented  on  this  occa- 
sion because  the  organization  of  this  Church  marks  the  begin- 
ning— the  first  step  forward — of  Presbyterian  Church  expan- 
sion in  the  State  of  New  York ;  for  it  was  practically  the  first 
official  act  of  the  newly  established  Presbytery  of  Long  Island 
to  establish  this  Presbyterian  Church  in  New  York  City. 

It  is  worthy  of  recalling  at  this  present  time  that  the  first 
English-speaking  settlements  in  the  State  of  New  York,  at 
Southold  and  Southampton,  in  1640,  established  a  Church,  at 
the  date  of  their  beginning,  and  that  these  Churches  were 
Presbyterian  in  doctrine  and,  in  a  degree,  Presbyterian  in  form 
of  government.  It  is  worthy  also  of  commemorating  at  this 
time  the  fact  that  the  first  Church  spire  that  the  rising  sun  this 
morning  illuminated  on  the  soil  of  the  'Empire  State'  was 
the  spire  of  a  Presbyterian  Church,  and  that  its  midday  rays 
now  illumine  almost  one  thousand  Presbyterian  Churches, 
with  two  hundred  and  twenty-five  thousand  members,  with  one 
hundred  and  eighty  thousand  Sabbath  school  scholars — 
Churches,  which  last  year  contributed  three  and  a  quarter  mil- 
lion dollars  towards  their  own  support,  and  gave  away  a  mil- 
lion and  three-quarters  more. 

"In  the  name,  therefore,  of  this  great  body  of  fellow-workers. 
Dr.  Duffield,  and  Members  and  associates  of  this  First  Pres- 
byterian Church,  the  Synod  of  New  York  offers  to  you  its 
deep  congratulations. 

"We  are  well  aware  of  the  fact  that  longevity  may  be  un- 
usual, and  yet  not  noticeable.  We  are  interested  in  this  your 
Commemoration,  because  we  recognize  that  this  Church  is  a 
vine  of  the  Lord's  own  planting,  that  it  has  been  miraculously 
fruitful  in  all  these  many  years  and,  praise  be  to  God's  gra- 
cious name,  is  fruitful  to-day. 

"I  was  listening  this  morning  as  the  hour  struck  from  the 
great  clock  tower  where  the  old  Madison  Square  Presbyterian 
Church  stood,  and  as  I  was  listening  to  it,  I  was  recalling  to 

17 


myself  an  event  that  took  place  in  that  church  in  1873.     The 
Eucumenical  Council  met  there  at  that  time.     Dr.  Woolsey, 
President  of  Yale  College,  delivered  the  opening  address.     In 
the  course  of  that  address  he  quoted  the  familiar  words: 
"  'Oh,  where  are  kings  and  empires  now 
Of  old  that  went  and  came? 
But,  Lord,  Thy  church  is  praying  yet, 
A  thousand  years  the  same.' 

"That  was  the  time  of  the  discussion  of  the  so-called  Tyndal 
prayer  test.  You  recall  that,  perhaps, — the  proposition  that 
a  certain  group  of  patients  in  a  certain  hospital,  that  were 
afflicted  with  certain  diseases  and  treated  in  a  certain  way 
should  be  prayed  for ;  and  in  a  certain  other  hospital,  another 
equal  group  of  patients,  with  the  same  disease  and  with  the 
same  treatment,  should  not  be  prayed  for ;  the  consequences 
to  be  watched  and  the  effect  to  be  noted.  The  audience  was 
quick  to  note  the  suggestion  of  Dr.  Woolsey's  quotation ;  it 
was  the  swift  straight  answer  of  the  Church  to  the  insinuation 
of  scientific  scepticism. 

I  looked  at  your  Year  Book,  and  on  one  of  its  pages  the 
milestones  of  the  Church's  progress  are  noted  down.  The  first 
item  was  this :  'Presbyterian  prayer  meetings  began  in  New 
York  City  in  1706.'  The  First  Presbyterian  Church  in  New 
York  City  was  organized  in  1716.  This  Church  began  its 
life  with  prayer,  in  prayer  it  has  continued  and  it  'is  praying 
yet,  two  hundred  years  the  same.'  We  rejoice  with  you  that 
this  is  your  life's  story. 

Sameness  is  a  mark  of  stability.  Nobody  thinks  anything 
of  the  young  man  who  changes  his  opinion,  his  vocation,  his 
abode ;  but  the  mature  man  has  fixed  convictions,  fixed  opin- 
ions, definite  activities  and  a  settled  home.  The  man  that 
does' the  same  things  again  and  again,  is  the  man  whose  skill  you 
seek,  whose  counsel  you  avail  yourself  of,  and  in  whose  sta- 
bility of  character,  the  home,  the  Church  and  the  State  are 
secure. 

In  this  great  city, — eager,  enterprising,  myriad-minded, 
Athenian-like  in  its  demand  for  novelty, — it  is  an  inspiring 
thing  to  come  together  to  commemorate  a  public  institution 

18 


that  for  full  two  hundred  years  has  stood  for  the  same  thing; 
recognizing  that  the  heart-beats  of  men  everywhere,  in  every 
generation,  are  the  same ;  that  the  only  hope  of  salvation  given 
under  heaven,  among  men  is  the  gospel  of  the  cross  of  Jesus 
Christ,  the  same  yesterday,  to-day  and  forever. 

When  Abraham  Lincoln  had  breathed  his  last.  Secretary 
Stanton,  looking  upon  the  face  of  the  martyred  President,  ex- 
claimed :    "He  belongs  to  the  ages  now." 

It  was  finely  said.  Lincoln  indeed  became  one  of  the  im- 
mortals. But  he  belonged  to  the  ages  all  the  while,  for  he 
clearly  saw  and  with  the  strength  of  a  strong  man  stood  for 
the  fundamental  and  eternal  principles  of  truth  and  righteous- 
ness and  justice. 

To-day  we  reverently  and  rejoicingly  remind  ourselves  that 
this  Church  belongs  to  the  ages,  founded  upon  and  witnessing 
to  the  faith  delivered  unto  the  saints,  inheriting  the  prayers 
and  the  labors  of  generations  past  and  cherishing  the  gracious 
purpose  under  God  to  make  its  debtors  the  generations  to 
come. 

In  the  name  of  your  brethren  in  this  great  commonwealth, 
the  State  of  New  York,  I  offer  you  congratulations  and  bid 
you  God  speed. 

"■^""^  The  Anniversary  Prayer  was  then  off'ered 
By  the  Reverend  Doctor  Henry  Mitchell   MacCracken 
Ex-Chancellor  of  the  University  of  the  City  of  New  York 

"We  thank  Thee,  O  God  our  Father,  for  speaking  to  us, 
and  for  calling  us  to  speak  to  Thee.  We  praise  Thy  voices 
in  nature,  where  the  heavens  declare  Thy  Glory  and  the  firma- 
ment sheweth  Thy  handiwork.  We  praise  Thy  speaking 
in  times  past  unto  the  fathers  by  the  prophets.  We  praise 
Thy  speaking  four  hundred  years  ago  by  the  new  voices  of  the 
Protestant  Reformers.  To-day  we  thank  Thee  for  the  Ger- 
man Martin  Luther,  for  the  French  John  Calvin,  the  British 
Tyndale  and  John  Knox  and  all  their  noble  company.  Espe- 
cially to-day  we  thank  Thee  here,  for  their  disciples,  who  three 
hundred  years  ago,  came  as  colonists  to  America,  to  the  South, 
to  New  England,  to  these  Middle  States  of  ours,  each  bringing 

19 


with  him  his  Bible.  We  thank  Thee  for  that  great  forerunner, 
that  John  the  Baptist  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  of  New 
York, — for  Francis  Makemie,  and  for  his  apostohc  work  in  the 
South  and  in  the  North ;  for  his  valiant  championship  two  hun- 
dred and  ten  years  ago  in  this  City  of  ours;  when,  in  1709,  he 
declared  and  defended,  before  a  tyrannical  governor,  and  for 
weeks  on  a  dungeon  floor  in  the  City  of  New  York,  the  liberty 
of  a  preacher  of  Christ. 

"Thou  O  Almighty  Spirit,  didst  strengthen  Francis  Ma- 
kemie to  stand  fast  in  thfe  liberty  wherewith  Christ  has  made 
men  free!  Through  the  long  weeks  in  jail,  charged  with  no 
crime  save  preaching  without  license  in  the  home  of  a  friend 
in  this  City,  and  baptising  there  the  child  of  a  friend,  through 
the  weary  months.  Thou  didst  strengthen  him  to  secure  a  trial 
and  complete  acquittal  before  the  law  of  the  land.  Thou 
gavest  him  also,  as  Thou  gavest  the  Apostle  Paul,  grace  to 
provide  his  own  livelihood  by  his  own  eliforts,  being  charge- 
able to  no  man  while  preaching  the  truth  of  Christ.  Even  he, 
suffered  the  loss  of  his  worldly  estate  by  the  rulers  of  this 
our  City.  For  this  apostolic  harbinger  and  forerunner  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church  here  we  glorify  Thee  this  day,  on  this 
two  hundred  and  tenth  anniversary  of  this  martyr's  suffering ; 
and  we  thank  Thee  for  those  disciples  of  his,  who  endured  and 
who  two  hundred  years  since  organized  this  Church,  not  as  a 
church  before  the  law  until  America  became  a  free  and  inde- 
pendent nation,  but  a  church  before  God  and  after  their  own 
hearts,  before  the  infant  presbytery  of  Makemie  and  his  few 
brother  ministers  in  the  Middle  States  and  in  the  South.  We 
thank  Thee  for  the  more  than  ten  thousand  Sabbaths  of  holy 
worship  held  by  this  congregation.  We  thank  Thee  for  the 
holy  influence  going  out  through  two  centuries  to  more  than 
ten  thousand  younger  churches,  for  the  unceasing  stream  of 
beneficence  to  other  churches  at  home  and  abroad  and  through 
the  whole  round  world;  for  the  patriotism  of  minister  and 
people,  as  in  that  time  when  the  faithful  pastor  stood  General 
Washington's  friend  and  helper,  although  driven  from  Church 
and  from  home  and  from  this  City  when  occupied  by  English 
troops;    for  the  hospitality  of   this   Church  shown  to  other 

20 


churches,  and  to  our  New  York  Presbytery  where  even  now  it 
finds  its  home  beneath  this  roof  tree. 

"We  thank  God  to-day  that  Thou  has  brought  this  Church 
out  into  a  large  place.  We  beseech  Thee  to  continue  its  power, 
continue  its  disposition  to  do  liberal  things.  Even  as  this  house 
of  praise  and  worship  stands  unique  in  the  many  miles  of  our 
greatest  avenue,  to  rejoice  the  eyes  of  every  stranger  with 
admiration  of  its  grassy  greensward,  its  shrubs  and  its  trees, 
so  make  this  Church  ever  a  joy  to  our  land  and  to  the  whole 
world  as  a  living  memorial  of  Christ,  known  and  read  of  all 
men.  And  here  may  a  true  Church  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
endure,  as  long  as  New  York  City  shall  endure,  as  long  as  the 
heavens  and  the  earth  shall  endure.  All  this  we  ask  for  Jesus 
Christ's  sake.     Amen." 

-'    A  Selection  from  Schubert's  "Song  of  Miriam"  was  sung 
by  the  Choir  as  an  Offertory  Anthem. 

Dr.  Mendenhall  then  referred  to  the  fact  that  formal  greet- 
ings from  great  ecclesiastical  bodies  had  been  conveyed  to  the 
Church  as  a  notable  historic  organization,  and  he  suggested 
that  now  the  people,  assembled  for  this  notable  Anniversary, 
should  unitedly  give  their  greeting  to  Dr.  Duffield,  under 
whose  personal  leadership  for  the  past  twenty-five  years  the 
Church  had  come  to  the  threshold  of  its  third  century,  clothed 
with  such  power  and  promise.  In  response  to  this  happy  and 
kindly  suggestion,  the  entire  assemblage  rose  and  with  waving 
handkerchiefs  gave  to  the  Pastor  of  the  Church  a  most  impres- 
sive and  soul  stirring  salutation. 

The  Historical  Sermon  was  then  delivered 

By  the  Reverend  Doctor  Howard  Duffield 

The  Minister  of  the  Old  First  Presbyterian  Church 


21 


THE  ANNALS  OF  THE  OLD  FIRST  CHURCH 

Book  of  the  Psalms  LXXn:16 

"There  shall  be  a  handful  of  corn  in  the  earth  upon  the  top  of 

the  mountains.     The  fruit  thereof  shall  shake 

like  Lebanon." 

One  of  the  greatest  assets  of  this  wealthy  town  is  its  Pres- 
byterianism.  Long  ago  it  was  said  that  the  real  grandeur  of 
a  city  was  to  be  measured  not  by  the  height  of  its  roofs,  but 
by  the  spiritual  stature  of  its  citizens.  For  two  hundred  years 
the  quarrymen  and  hod  carriers  and  iron  workers  have  been 
building  and  re-building  the  city  which  we  see,  raising  ever 
mightier  walls  and  more  stupendous  towers.  For  two  centur- 
ies the  Presbyterian  way  of  looking  at  the  truth  has  been 
unceasingly  at  work  helping  to  build  a  more  glorious  city,  not 
made  with  hands,  nor  viewed  with  eyes,  but  resplendent  to  the 
inner  vision,  and  defiant  of  the  changes  of  time,  a  city  which 
shall  be  clothed  with  abiding  strength  and  beauty  when  the 
material  glories  of  the  town  shall  have  vanished  like  a  dream. 
The  city  of  our  real  habitation  is  not  a  structure  of  asphalt 
and  metal  and  timber  and  stone  which  is  ever  returning  to  its 
native  dust,  but  "a  City  which  hath  foundations  whose  builder 
and  maker  is  God,"  the  home  of  a  citizenry  whose  character 
is  moulded  by  faith  and  honor  and  righteousness  and  liberty 
and  truth,  a  commonwealth  where  the  soul  sits  upon  the 
throne.  For  two  hundred  years  our  fathers  have  been  the 
builders  of  such  a  city.  They  laid  the  deep  foundations  of  its 
greatness  upon  the  word  of  God.  Its  architecture  they  fash- 
ioned after  divine  patterns.  Its  walls  and  gates  they  reared 
by  the  magic  might  of  exalted  principles  and  noble  ideals  of 
living.  Their  life  force  has  impressed  itself  upon  every 
phase  of  its  civic  life.  The  tonic  tingle  of  their  blue  blood 
is  in  the  veins  of  the  body  corporate.  No  single  force  has 
contributed  more  directly  to  the  development  of  the  City's 
real  prosperity,  and  guaranteed  the  City's   continued  great- 

22 


ness,  than  that  generated  by  the  long  Hne  of  those  choice 
spirits,  who  with  an  intelligent  and  unflagging  devotion,  have 
translated  into  terms  of  daily  life  the  elemental  principles  of 
the  Presbyterian  faith.  The  rolls  of  its  merchant  princes 
are  inscribed  with  their  signatures.  In  the  company  of  its 
commercial  leaders  they  stand  in  the  foremost  rank.  As 
patrons  of  art,  as  promoters  of  science,  as  benefactors  and 
philanthropists,  their  names  are  as  well  known  as  the  letters 
of  the  alphabet.  Of  every  movement  that  aims  at  the  lifting 
of  the  common  burden  and  the  giving  a  larger,  sweeter  defini- 
tion to  the  common  life,  they  are  the  spinal  strength. 

This  mighty  harvest  has  fruited  from  an  insignificant  seed- 
ing. The  beginning  was  beggarly,  but  the  outcome  is  opulent. 
A  handful  of  corn  has  burgeoned  into  a  forest  of  stately 
cedars.  A  garden  patch,  sterile  as  Sahara,  has  clothed  itself 
with  a  glory  like  that  of  Lebanon.  As  the  American  continent 
was  sown  with  grain  which  God  Himself  had  sifted,  so  the 
Presbyterian  Church  in  the  City  of  New  York  has  grown  from 
seed  divinely  hand-picked.  The  little  company  which  cradled 
the  Church  were  winnowed  by  the  fan  of  persecution.  Their 
passion  for  freedom  of  worship,  their  readiness  to  die  for  lib- 
erty of  the  body  and  of  the  soul,  their  stalwart  devotion  to  the 
rights  of  men  and  the  rights  of  God,  were  lessons  learned  in 
the  school  of  oppression.  Their  ancestors  were  the  Huguenots 
who  were  ever  haunted  by  the  horror  of  Bartholomew's  Day; 
the  Puritans  of  England  and  of  Holland,  baptized  with  the 
blood  of  the  saints ;  the  Covenanters  of  Scotland,  with  heroic 
memories  of  the  martyrs  burnt  into  their  recollection  and  woven 
into  the  very  fibre  o^  their  being.  The  trumpet  tones  of 
Luther,  who  defied  the  claim  of  the  Emperor  to  act  for  him,  or 
of  the  Pope  to  think  for  him,  never  ceased  to  reverberate  within 
their  souls.  The  call  of  God  to  witness  for  these  truths,  which 
had  come  to  them  as  a  divine  birthright,  and  were  by  them 
transmitted  as  a  priceless  heirloom  to  their  children,  never  slept 
in  their  consciousness.  The  days  of  the  Church's  founding 
were  days  which  tried  men's  souls.  The  heralds  of  a  new 
era  are  not  baskers  in  the  sunshine.  The  champions  of  human 
rights  do  not  feed  upon  sugar  plums  and  loll  upon  roses.     That 

23 


was  an  hour  in  which  men  were  willing  to  suffer  for  righteous- 
ness sake,  and  rejoiced  when  they  were  counted  worthy  to 
endure  hardness  as  good  soldiers  of  Jesus  Christ.  Then,  the 
things  of  faith  were  the  real  things.  They  were  the  only  reali- 
ties. All  else  was  shadow,  flitting  by,  passing  away.  In  that 
hour,  the  truths  of  God  were  counted  precious  enough  to  die 
for,  and  glorious  enough  to  make  martyrdom  a  boon.  What 
Lincoln  said  concerning  the  founders  of  the  State,  may  well 
be  said  of  the  builders  of  this  Church.  "The  accounts  of  the 
battlefields  and  struggles  for  the  liberties  of  the  country  fixed 
themselves  upon  my  imagination.  I  recollect  thinking,  boy 
though  I  was,  that  there  must  have  been  something  more  than 
common  that  these  men  struggled  for,  .  .  .  something  that 
held  out  a  great  promise  to  all  the  people  of  the  world,  for  all 
time  to  come." 

The  opening  chapter  in  the  story  of  New  York  Presbyterian- 
ism  reads  like  a  leaf  from  the  Book  of  Acts.  The  early  Church 
builders  had  at  least  two  marks  of  apostolicity.  The  enter- 
prise was  planted  in  a  prayer  meeting,  like  that  which  was  the 
prelude  to  Pentecost;  and  it  was  nurtured  in  a  house,  like 
that  of  Aquila  and  Priscilla,  so  well  known  to  Paul  and  his 
fellow  preachers.  Into  such  a  fireside  circle  came  first  of 
all,  in  1643,  Francis  Doughty,  whose  name  happily  bespeaks 
his  character,  a  bold  and  outspoken  witness  for  the  truth,  who 
for  his  devotion  to  freedom,  had  won  the  meed  of  ostracism 
and  exile.  In  1650  followed  the  scholarly  Richard  Denton,  a 
graduate  of  Cambridge,  and  according  to  Cotton  Mather,  "one 
of  the  lights  of  the  day."  The  hearthside  became  an  altar 
place.  As  occasion  offered,  visiting  clergymen  ministered  to 
these  waiting  households  of  faith.  In  this  simple  fashion,  little 
companies  gathered  to  pray,  and  to  listen  to  the  message  of 
such  preachers  of  passage.  Even  such  informal  and  instinc- 
tive upreachings  of  the  heart  toward  the  light  became  the  sig- 
nal for  persecution ;  and  the  rattle  of  chains,  and  the  crackle 
of  faggots  greeted  the  earliest  attempts  in  this  City  to  wor- 
ship God  according  to  the  call  of  conscience.  To  found  a 
Presbyterian  Church  in  the  City  of  New  York,  men  had  to 
face  the  frowns  of  tyranny  and  to  suffer  for  their  faith.     In 

24 


no  other  way  do  truth  and  freedom  come  to  dwell  in  the  earth. 
The  apostle  of  American  Presbyterianism  was  Francis  Ma- 
kemie.  He  was  a  graduate  of  one  of  the  Scottish  Universi- 
ties, and  a  member  of  the  Presbytery  of  Laggan  in  North  Ire- 
land. He  was  a  man  of  disciplined  mind,  commanding  person- 
ality, and  fascinating  address.  Coming  to  America  in  response 
to  an  appeal  from  the  so-called  dissenting  Churches  for  relig- 
ious instructors,  he  quickly  and  inevitably  rose  to  the  leader- 
ship of  American  Presbyterians.  Resident  in  the  colonies  of 
the  South,  he  treated  all  the  colonies  as  his  field  and  visited 
throughout  all  their  borders.  Geographic  boundaries  were  to 
him  imaginary  lines.  After  attending  a  meeting  of  the 
Presbytery  at  Philadelphia,  in  October,  1706,  accompanied  by 
John  Hampton  he  set  out  for  Boston,  and  en  route  visited  the 
City  of  New  York.  The  Governorship  was  at  that  time  vested 
in  Lord  Cornbury,  who  has  earned  the  doubtful  reputation  of 
being  gifted  with  "all  the  vices  of  aristocratic  arrogance  joined 
with  intellectual  imbecility,"  a  reckless  adventurer,  profligate 
and  unprincipled,  who  had  fled  England  to  escape  his  creditors. 
The  little  circle  of  New  York  Presbyterians  being  advised  of 
Makemie's  presence,  imploring  him  to  preach.  It  was  not 
easy  to  find  a  place  of  meeting.  The  Dutch  and  French 
Church  buildings  could  only  be  opened  with  the  consent  of  the 
Governor.  This  being  flatly  refused,  public  worship  was  held 
in  the  house  of  William  Jackson,  at  the  lower  end  of  Pearl 
Street.  There  was  a  small  gathering  of  ten  or  fifteen  persons, 
no  larger  than  that  which  long  ago  met  in  the  upper  room  at 
Jerusalem.  A  sermon  was  preached.  A  little  child  was  bap- 
tized. The  names  of  five  of  that  historic  company  have  been 
preserved.  As  they  constitute  the  first  group  of  the  citizens 
of  New  York  known  to  have  held  a  Presbyterian  service  in  the 
City,  the  roll  should  be  recited.  Their  names  were,  David 
Jamieson,  Captain  Theobolds,  John  Vanhorn,  William  Jackson, 
and  Anthony  Young.  Jamieson  was  a  sweet  singer,  a  man  of 
classical  attainments,  who  during  the  persecutions  in  the  Old 
World  had  been  arrested  and  sold  as  a  slave  in  New  York. 
He  had  been  bought  by  Mr.  Clark,  the  Minister  in  the  Fort, 
and  permitted  to  teach  school.     He  had  studied  law  and  be- 

25 


V3^" 


came  the  Clerk  of  the  Council.  Vanhorn  and  Theobolds  were 
merchants.  William  Jackson  was  a  shoe  maker,  and  with 
Anthony  Young  had  been  shipped  from  Scotland  to  the  Amer- 
ican Plantations.  The  coachman  of  the  Governor  was  also 
one  of  the  little  company.  "Ye  see  your  calling,  brethren, 
how  not  many  great  men  after  the  flesh,  not  many  mighty,  not 
many  noble,  are  called.  For  God  hath  chosen  the  weak  things 
a  world  to  confound  the  mighty,  and  things  that  are  not  to 
bring  to  naught  the  things  that  are." 

Upon  the  day  following  the  sermon,  Makemie  and  his  com- 
panion were  arrested  by  Cornbury's  order  and  thrown  into 
prison.  In  the  absence  of  the  Chief  Justice  they  languished 
in  unjust  confinement  for  nearly  two  months.  By  writ  of 
Habeas  Corpus  they  at  length  secured  a  hearing  in  the  Courts 
and  were  admitted  to  bail.  Mr.  Makemie  at  the  appointed 
time  returned  to  stand  trial,  in  the  conduct  of  which  "it  was 
difficult  to  say  whether  he  was  most  conspicuous  for  his  talents 
as  a  man,  or  for  his  dignity  and  piety  as  a  Minister  of  the 
Gospel."  The  jury  acquitted  him,  but  he  was  not  discharged 
until  by  shameful  extortion  he  had  been  compelled  to  defray 
not  only  the  costs  of  the  defence,  but  the  fees  of  the  prosecutor. 
This  bitter  hounding  of  an  innocent  man  aroused  the  entire 
Puritan  body  of  the  colonists,  and  many  an  earnest  and  indig- 
nant protest  went  over  the  seas  concerning  this  violation  "of 
the  law  of  the  nation,  and  the  common  rights  of  Englishmen." 
British  justice  prevailed  and  Cornbury  was  recalled.  In  re- 
linquishing his  office,  the  Governor  discharged  a  Parthian  arrow 
in  the  shape  of  an  elaborate  apology  for  his  administration, 
which  concluded  with  this  vivid  sketching  of  Makemie  as 
he  saw  him,  "he  is  Jack  of  all  trades ;  he  is  a  preacher,  a  doc- 
tor of  physic,  a  merchant,  an  attorney,  a  counsellor  at  law,  and 
worst  of  all  a  disturber  of  governments." 

The  removal  from  the  City  of  their  arch  persecutor  seems 
to  have  inspired  the  Presbyterians  to  renewed  efforts  to 
crystallize  their  scattered  forces  into  a  regularly  constituted 
Church.  Apparently  they  invited  some  minister  to  head  this 
undertaking,  whose  name  has  not  been  preserved,  for  under 
date  of  December  2,  1709,  Vesey,  the  Rector  of  Trinity  Church, 

26 


writes,  "that  the  Dissenting  Minister  is  likely  to  gain  no 
ground."  His  stay  must  have  been  brief,  as  no  record  of  it 
remains,  save  this  passing  allusion.  The  people,  however,  kept 
together.  Their  numbers  increased.  Confidence  was  re- 
stored. Their  long  cherished  desire  came  to  fruition  in  1716. 
In  that  year  a  group  of  their  leading  spirits  formulated  a 
definite  plan  of  organization  and  took  the  steps  necessary  to 
secure  its  realization.  The  story  of  this  movement  is  written 
in  the  Minutes  of  the  Church  of  Scotland.  It  is  there  re- 
corded that  the  prime  movers  in  the  enterprise  were  John 
Nicoll,  Patrick  McKnight,  Gilbert  Livingston,  and  Thomas 
Smith.  William  Livingston  and  William  Smith  are  also 
known  to  have  been  associated  with  the  inception  of  this  un- 
dertaking. Mr.  Thomas  Smith  was  by  birth  an  Englishman, 
who  from  his  distinguished  services  in  establishing  Presbyter- 
ianism  in  the  American  colonies  was  held  in  high  esteem  in 
the  Church  of  Scotland.  Mr.  William  Smith,  who  was  from 
Newport-Pagnell  in  England,  became  a  Judge  and  a  member  of 
the  King's  Council.  Mr.  Patrick  McKnight,  a  native  of  the 
North  of  Ireland,  was  a  merchant  and  owner  of  some  prop- 
erty. But  in  establishing  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  City 
of  New  York  none  exercised  more  dynamic  influence  than  Dr. 
John  Nicoll,  a  graduate  of  Edinburgh  University,  and  a  physi- 
cian of  recognized  eminence.  Throughout  his  long  life  he  gave 
impetus  and  momentum  to  this  enterprise.  A  man  of  clear 
vision,  and  of  strong,  almost  autocratic  will,  in  other  words,  of 
Scotch  canniness  and  obstinacy,  with  the  gifts  of  a  leader  and 
with  the  enthusiasm  of  a  martyr,  he  kept  his  hand  on  the  helm 
and  set  the  course  across  the  troubled  seas  upon  which  this  un- 
certain venture  was  embarked.  In  spite  of  the  attacks  which 
he  continually  provoked,  and  of  criticism,  which  perhaps  his 
rugged  and  unyielding  self  assertion  may  sometimes  have  mer- 
ited, the  sincerity,  the  unselfishness,  the  triumphant  persistency 
of  the  man  came  to  be  so  conspicuously  apparent,  that  those 
associated  with  him  have  embalmed  his  memory  in  formal  and 
emphatic  eulogy.  So  clear  brained  and  resolute  a  leader  inev- 
itably becomes  a  target  for  critics  and  gossip.  Nicoll  held 
his  way  unswervingly  through  a  gauntlet  of  opposition  until" 

27 


he  extorted  admiration  from  those  who  had  been  at  swords' 
points  with  him.  His  companions  upon  the  Board  of  Trustees 
with  whom  he  had  frequent  and  serious  differences  of  opinion 
caused  the  following  memorial  to  be  entered  upon  their  Min- 
utes :  "Be  it  remembered  that  J.  Nicoll,  Doctor  of  Physick  did 
for  about  the  space  of  20  years  take  almost  sole  care  of  the 
temporal  affairs  of  this  congregation  upon  himself,  and  did 
leave  the  Church  free  of  debt,  at  his  own  very  great  expense ; 
for  which  services  to  the  Church,  his  name  ought  to  be  trans- 
mitted to  posterity  at  the  beginning  of  this  book  with  the  high- 
est marks  of  Honor  and  Regard."  At  his  funeral  service,  his 
Pastor  declared  "These  walls  will  be  the  lasting  monument  of 
his  zeal  for  the  house  and  public  worship  of  God,  in  the  erect- 
ing of  which  he  spent  a  considerable  part  of  his  estate,  and 
undertook  a  hazardous  voyage  to  Europe  for  the  establishment 
and  security  of  this  infant  society.  Upon  these  and  other 
accounts  too  numerous  to  mention  while  a  Presbyterian 
Church  exists  in  the  City  of  New  York  the  name  of  Nicoll  will 
ever  be  remembered  with  honor  as  one  of  its  principal  founders 
and  its  greatest  benefactor." 

The  first  move  of  the  organizers  of  the  Church  was  to  hire  a 
private  house  for  a  place  of  meeting.  Their  application  is  re- 
corded in  the  Minutes  of  the  Common  Council.  It  is  dated  7 
August,  1717,  and  reads,  "the  house  known  as  Venoo's  house 
situate  in  the  Eastern  part  of  the  City  is  recorded  as  Publick 
Meeting  House  for  the  Congregation  of  Dissenting  Protestants 
called  Presbiterians,  for  the  Publick  Worship  of  Almighty 
God."  It  was  their  intention  to  invite  such  Ministers  as  they 
could  prevail  upon  to  visit  the  City  to  preach  for  them  in  turn 
"giving  them  encouragement  according  to  their  ability."  This 
method  speedily  proved  impracticable.  Nearby  Presbyterian 
Ministers  were  not  plentiful.  Some  attempted  to  come  a  hun- 
dred miles  or  more,  but  were  defeated  by  the  primitive  meth- 
ods of  travel.  The  people  could  secure  no  regularity  of  service. 
They  missed  what  they  most  needed,  pastoral  care.  Although 
"very,  very  small,"  they  therefore  determined  to  secure  a  Pas- 
tor and  in  the  summer  of  1717  they  issued  a  call  to  the  Rev. 
James  Anderson  of  the  Presbytery  of  Newcastle,  Delaware, 

28 


who  during  a  visit  to  New  York  had  given  them  much  sympa- 
thy and  encouragement,  and  had  become  thoroughly  famihar 
with  the  situation.  He  accepted  their  invitation  and  began 
his  pastorate  early  in  the  following  December. 

Almost  immediately  after  his  installation  Mr.  Anderson  ad- 
dressed a  letter  to  Dr.  Stirling,  "principal  of  the  Colledge  of 
Glasgow."  With  a  keen  and  vivid  touch  it  illuminates  the 
situation  as  it  appeared  to  one  of  the  chief  actors  in  it.  The 
unique  importance  of  this  paper  as  well  as  its  picturesque  style 
warrants  ample  quotation 

"This  place,  the  City  of  New  York,  where  I  now  am,  is  a 
place  of  considerable  moment  &  very  poplous  consisting  as 
I'm  informed  of  about  3000  families  or  housekeepers.  Its  a 
place  of  as  great  trade  &  businesse,  if  not  more  now,  as  any 
in  North  America.  In  it  are  two  minrs,  of  ye  established 
church  of  England,  two  Dutch  minrs,  one  French  minr,  a  Luth- 
eran minister,  an  Anabaptist  &  also  a  Qwaker  meeting.  The 
place  did  att  first  intirly  belong  to  the  Dutch ;  After  the  Eng- 
lish had  it  endeavours  were  used  by  ye  chief  of  ye  people  who 
then  understood  English  toward  the  Settlement  of  an  Eng- 
lish dissenting  minister  in  it,  &  accordingly  one  was  called 
from  New  England,  who  after  he  had  preached  sometime 
here,  having  a  prospect  &  promise  of  more  money  then  what 
he  had  among  the  dissenters,  went  to  old  England,  took  orders 
from  ye  B.  of  London  &  came  back  here  as  minister  of  the 
established  church  of  E:  Here  he  yet  is,  has  done,  &  still  is 
doing  what  he  can  to  ruin  the  dissenting  interest  in  the  place 
&  verifying  ye  old  saying  Omnis  apostata  est  sectae  sua  osor : 
Afterwards  endeavours  were  used  again  &  again  by  the  fa- 
mous Mr.  Francis  Mc  Kemine,  Mr.  Hampton,  Mr.  Mc  Nish 
&  others  toward  the  Settlement  of  a  Scots  church  in  this 
city,  but  by  ye  arbitrary  management  &  influence  of  a  wicked 
high  flying  governour,  who  predeeded  his  excellency  Briga- 
deer  Hunter,  our  present  governor  (may  ye  Lord  blesse  & 
long  preserve  him)  that  businesse  has  been  hitherto  impeded 
&  could  never  be  brought  in  a  likely  way  to  bear. 

"The  last  summer,  I  being  providentially  here,  &  obliged  to 
stay  here  about  businesse  the  matter  of  a  month,  att  the  desire 

29 


of  a  few  especially  Scots  people,  preached  each  Sabbath.  Tho' 
there  were  a  pretty  many  hearers,  yet  there  were  but  few  yt 
were  able  &  willing  to  do  anything  toward  the  setting  forward 
such  work,  a  few  there  were  who  were  willing  to  do  their  utter- 
most, but  so  few  that  I  had  then  but  small  grounds  to  sup- 
pose that  any  thing  effectually  could  be  done.  Some  time 
before  our  last  Synod,  a  call  from  this  small  handful  with 
some  few  others  yt  had  joyn'd  them,  came  to  the  presbytry 
of  Newcastle  desiring  a  transporation  of  me  from  Newcastle 
to  New  York,  which  the  Presbytry  referred  to  ye  Synod  then 
in  a  little  time  to  sit.  The  Synod,  having  a  prospect  of  getting 
Newcastle  supplied  by  a  young  man  one  Mr.  Crosse,  lately 
come  from  the  North  of  Ireland,  transported  me  hither. 
The  people  here  who  are  favorors  of  our  church  &  per- 
swasion,  as  I've  told  yow,  are  yet  but  few  &  none  of  the 
richest,  yet  for  all,  I  am  not  without  hopes  yt  with  Gods 
blessing  they  shall  in  a  little  time  encrease.  Some  are  al- 
ready come  to  live  in  the  city  &  more  are  expected  whose 
langwage  would  not  allow  them  to  joyn  with  ye  Dutch  or 
French  Churches,  and  whose  consciences  would  not  allow 
them  to  joyn  in  the  service  of  the  English  Church.  The 
cheif  thing  in  all  appearance,  now  wanting,  with  Gods  bless- 
ing &  concurrence  to  render  us  a  growing  flourishing  con- 
gregation, is  a  good  large  convenient  house  or  church  to 
congregate  in ;  Some  proposals  are  now  sett  on  foot  toward 
the  building  of  one,  but  building  being  here  very  coastly  & 
convenient  ground  to  build  such  a  house  upon  being  yet  more 
coastly,  &  the  handful  of  people  yt  are  having  their  hands 
full  to  doe  toward  the  necessary  Support  of  their  minister 
we  shall  not  be  able  to  goe  through  with  the  building  of 
such  a  house  as  the  place  requires  without  the  assistance  of 
our  friends :  The  crying  necessity  of  having  the  Gospell  & 
Gospell  ordinances  dispensed  purly  in  our  langwage  here, 
This  seeming  to  he  the  time  for  carrying  on  such  a  work, 
while  things  are  So  moderate  att  home,  &  while  we  have  such 
a  wise  moderate  governour  here,  Together  with  the  hopes  of 
the  growing  of  our  interest  «&  the  hopes  of  some  assistance 
from  our  friends  &  brethren  att  home,  att  least  in  building, 

30 


were  cheif  considerations  moving  the  Synod  to  transport  me 
hither  &  begetting  a  willingness  in  me  to  comply  with  the 
Synod's  act. 

"I  believe  by  this  time  yow  smell  my  drift.  I  don't  know 
how  to  begin  to  beg  any  more  att  your  door  least  I  should 
be  reckoned  (to  use  our  own  Scots  word)  missleard.  But 
if  any  of  your  Substantiall  Merchts  or  some  other  Synod 
could  be  prevailed  upon  to  contribute  toward  the  building  of 
a  Scots  church  here  Oh !  how  acceptible  would  it  be  to  re- 
ligion &  our  interest  in  the  place.  Severall  of  our  Scots  mer- 
chants trade  hither  &  I  doubt  not  more  will  when  before 
now  they  have  come,  they  understanding  neither  Dutch  nor 
French  were  oblidged  either  to  stay  att  home  or  goe  to  ye 
church  of  E ;  or  worse  which  has  been  ye  occasion  of  some 
mischiefs  Wickednesse  &  inconveniences,  which  I  hope  in  a 
great  measure  if  this  work  of  God  succeed  here,  shall  hereafter 
be  prevented,  I  am  afrayid  I  have  wearied  yow." 

The  records  of  the  Church  reveal  the  steps  which  were 
taken  by  the  new-born  society  to  become  housed  in  a  home  of 
its  own,  the  desire  for  which  is  so  feelingly  treated  in  this 
epistle. 

In  1718  Dr.  Nicoll,  Patrick  McKnight,  Gilbert  Livingston  and 
Thomas  Smith  purchased  a  lot  for  a  Church  building  near 
the  corner  of  Wall  Street  and  Nassau  Street  adjoining  the 
newly  erected  Municipal  Building  (which  occupied  the  site 
where  now  stands  the  Sub  Treasury  Building).  To  raise  the 
necessary  funds  for  the  purchase  of  the  land  and  the  erection 
of  the  building,  in  addition  to  private  subscription,  the  Legis- 
lature of  Connecticut  was  appealed  to,  and  also  the  General 
Assembly  of  the  Church  of  Scotland.  Both  these  bodies  re- 
sponded with  such  substantial  assistance,  that  the  building  of 
the  Church  was  carried  steadily  forward.  Until  they  should 
be  possessed  of  an  edifice  of  their  own,  the  infant  congrega- 
tion obtained  permission  to  hold  their  services  in  the  new 
City  Hall  "provided  they  do  not  interfere  with,  or  obstruct,  the 
Public  Courts  of  Justice  to  be  held  from  time  to  time  in 
said  City  Hall."  "This  municipal  building,"  writes  Nicoll, 
"was  costly  and  magnificent."     It  was  then  regarded  as  one 

31 


of  the  prominent  architectural  ornaments  of  the  City.  The 
site  had  been  donated  to  the  municipaHty  by  Colonel  Abraham 
de  Peyster.  The  corner  stone  had  been  laid  by  Mayor 
Provost.  The  cost  of  the  structure  was  $1500.  It  was  a  two 
story  brick  building,  the  jail  being  upon  the  lower  floor.  The 
upper  story  contained  accommodations  for  the  Assembly,  the 
City  Council,  and  the  Supreme  Court.  The  building  con- 
tained a  library  for  the  use  not  only  of  the  City  of  New 
York,  but  under  specified  restrictions,  of  residents  in  New 
Jersey  and  Connecticut.  The  inefficiency  of  its  early  manage- 
ment, led  to  the  organization  of  the  Society  Library.  With 
this  group  of  occupants  the  new-born  Presbyterian  Church 
shared  the  shelter  of  the  City  Hall  for  nearly  three  years. 

In  1719  the  Church  edifice  was  completed  and  dedicated. 
The  satisfaction  of  the  young  organization  found  expression 
in  a  letter  to  the  Governor  and  Legislature  of  Connecticut. 
"We  now  with  rejoicing  crave  leave  to  acquaint  the  Assembly 
that  by  the  assistance  we  experienced  from  Connecticut  we 
were  not  only  encouraged  to  go  on  with  our  begun  building, 
which  otherwise  was  like  to  drop  and  go  to  ruin,  but  were  also 
able  to  get  it  under  roof,  so  that  now  with  joy  we  enjoy  the 
ordinances  dispensed  to  us  therein.  We  heartily  thank  you 
for  your  opportune,  free  and  voluntary  liberal  aid  to  a  small 
despised  handful,  which  we  hope  designs  nothing  else  but  the 
honor  of  the  glorious  Lord,  and  the  eternal  good  of  their 
souls,  and  of  their  children."  But  in  this  very  expression 
of  their  exultation  it  crops  out  that  a  seed  of  menace  has 
rooted  itself  in  their  society.  The  sum  raised  in  Connecticut, 
they  go  on  to  say,  was  less  than  expected,  "the  charity  of 
some  having  been  cooled  by  false  and  malicious  reports  dis- 
persed among  the  colonies."  This  root  of  bitterness,  as  al- 
ways, grew  with  a  tenacious  and  exuberant  vitality.  We  find 
it  hinted  at  in  a  letter  of  Cotton  Mather  written  at  this  time 
to  Dr.  Nicoll  "for  communication"  in  which  he  says :  "We 
are  very  sensibly  touched  with  grief  at  the  information  you 
give  us  of  the  strange  difficulties  under  which  ye  evangelical 
affairs  are  laboring.  Since  it  is  from  you  only  we  have  been 
informed  of  them  this  gives  us  a  little  hope  that  they  may 

32 


not  grow  to  the  extremity  you  may  be  afraid  of.  We  never 
yet  have  had  any  disadvantageous  representations  of  the  worthy 
Mr.  Anderson  made  to  us,  nor  shall  we  receive  anything  to 
his  disadvantage,  without  first  giving  him  and  you  an  oppor- 
tunity of  vindication." 

The  next  step  was  to  become  incorporated  in  order  that  title 
might  be  taken  to  the  land  and  the  building.  The  earliest  ap- 
plication for  a  charter  was  preferred  to  the  Kings  Council,  4th 
of  March,  1720,  by  Mr.  Anderson  and  five  others.  They 
style  themselves  "Scots  from  North  Britain"  and  represent 
the  distressing  inconvenience  of  vesting  their  property  in  the 
name  of  individual  owners,  which  they  are  compelled  to  do 
until  chartered  by  law.  The  vestry  of  Trinity  Church  was 
represented  by  Counsel  in  opposition,  and  the  request  was 
finally  dismissed.  After  a  change  of  Governorship  had  oc- 
curred, the  application  was  renewed  September  19th,  and  in 
opposition  are  found  certain  of  the  Trustees  of  the  Church 
itself.  The  English  members  of  the  Board,  Livingston  and 
Smith,  arrayed  themselves  against  the  Scotch  Irish  contingent 
headed  by  NicoU  and  McKnight.  The  animus  of  this  opposi- 
tion was  the  apprehension  that  the  rigid  Scotch  element  would 
gain  control  of  the  possessions  and  the  organization  of  the 
Church,  and  it  was  believed  that  the  situation  of  the  more  lib- 
eral minded  English  element  would  be  freer  and  better  without 
a  charter  granted  to  those  who  then  aspired,  as  it  was  claimed, 
to  secure  control  of  the  Church.  This  cause  of  alarm  was 
unquestionably  emphasized,  perhaps  created,  by  the  attitude  of 
Mr.  Anderson.  Although  a  man  of  talents  and  spirituality, 
and  an  able  and  popular  preacher,  he  did  not  seem  to  have 
mastered  accurately  the  problems  of  the  situation,  nor  to 
have  brought  sufficient  tact  to  their  solution.  It  is  clearly 
evident  that  a  number  of  his  people  and  officers  were  unac- 
customed to  the  rigid  theories  of  the  Scottish  Kirk  and  resented 
certain  of  its  principles  which  he  undertook  to  enforce.  His 
opponents  accused  him  of  "afifecting  a  strictness  which  the 
Presbyterians  of  England  had  not  been  used  to  and  interfering 
in  the  temporalities  of  the  congregation,  and  the  disposition 
of  the  Public  Money  (with  which  ministers  ought  to  have  no 

33 


concern)."  This  feeling  became  so  intensified  by  pulpit 
utterances  of  Mr.  Anderson,  that  the  same  gentlemen  who 
challenged  the  granting  of  the  charter,  entered  a  complaint 
before  the  Presbytery  of  Long  Island  with  reference  to  the 
regularity  of  his  settlement  as  Pastor.  After  a  patient  hear- 
ing it  was  decided  that  the  proceedings  of  his  induction 
into  the  pastorate  were  entirely  regular.  Complaint  was  then 
lodged  against  two  of  his  sermons.  These  were  read.  Pres- 
bytery approved  them,  "as  orthodox  and  godly,  but  in  some 
portions  not  so  mild  and  soft  as  might  be  wished."  The  dif- 
ferences became  so  pronounced,  and  led  to  such  unseemly 
personal  collision  and  bred  such  unholy  heat,  that  a  schism 
occurred.  The  Scotch  faction  stood  with  the  Pastor.  The 
English  contingent  withdrew  from  the  organization.  The  se- 
ceding company  began  promptly  casting  about  for  a  place  of 
worship.  From  the  Minutes  of  the  City  Council  it  is  learned 
that  Mr.  Thomas  Grant,  conspicuous  in  his  opposition  to  Mr. 
Anderson,  obtained  the  authority  in  1721  to  use  the  house  of 
John  Barbour  near  the  Fort,  as  a  place  of  assembly.  Late 
in  the  same  year  record  is  made  of  a  new  house  lately  erected 
and  built  in  the  East  side  on  Smith  Street,  (now  William 
Street)  "for  a  meeting  house  for  the  congregation  of  dis- 
senting Protestants  called  English  Presbiterians  for  the  Pub- 
lick  Worship  of  God."  In  the  living  room  of  this  building 
there  ministered  to  the  little  circle  of  worshippers,  a  lad  of  nine- 
teen, tall,  slender,  pale  of  face,  but  of  marked  refinement,  and 
carrying  in  his  bearing  tokens  of  the  promise  which  the  after 
years  fulfilled.  His  name  was  Jonathan  Edwards.  A  recent 
graduate  from  Yale  University,  as  he  crossed  the  threshold  of 
professional  life,  he  first  exercised  the  gospel  ministry  as  a 
leader  of  the  liberal  wing  of  New  York  Presbyterianism.  "I 
had,"  he  writes  in  his  diary,  "abundance  of  sweet  religious  con- 
versation with  the  family  of  Madam  Smith."  "Very  fre- 
quently," another  entry  runs,  "I  used  to  retire  to  a  solitary  spot 
upon  the  banks  of  the  Hudson  at  some  distance  from  the  city 
for  contemplation  upon  divine  things  and  secret  converse  with 
God,  and  had  many  sweet  hours  there."  This  remote  spot 
was   a   stretch   of   pebbly    shore   which    stretched   along   the 

34 


water's  edge  from  the  present  Cortlandt  Street  to  Barclay 
Street.  The  ministry  of  Mr.  Edwards  lasted  but  eighteen 
months.  At  its  close  owing  largely  to  his  personal  influence, 
the  separation  terminated,  those  who  had  withdrawn,  return- 
ing again  to  the  parent  church.  But  the  difficulties  which  had 
been  engendered  could  not  be  entirely  eliminated.  Debate 
followed  debate.  Criticisms  were  launched  bitterly  at  every 
step  in  the  church  work.  Appeals  were  continually  taken  to 
the  Presbytery  and  to  the  Synod  until  in  September,  1726, 
Mr.  Anderson  being  called  to  Donegal  in  Pennsylvania  re- 
moved to  that  place  where  he  prosecuted  a  notably  successful 
ministry.  He  died  in  1740.  The  Presbytery  entered  upon 
their  records  a  Minute  expressive  of  their  high  esteem  for 
"his  circumspection  and  diligence  and  faithfulness  as  a  Chris- 
tian Minister." 

The  enforced  removal  of  Mr.  Anderson  left  the  Church 
facing  a  dismal  outlook.  The  first  decade  of  its  existence 
had  been  a  story  of  disaster.  In  spite  of  its  brave  struggle, 
it  was  pastorless,  amid  circumstances  that  certainly  did  not  en- 
courage any  minister  to  assume  the  obligations  of  its  pastorate. 
The  Church  had  failed  to  obtain  incorporation,  and  it  was 
clearly  apparent  that  all  hope  of  corporate  existence  must  be 
postponed  to  a  remote  future.  Even  if  clothed  with  power  to 
hold  property,  its  material  possessions  were  little  worth  the 
holding.  Its  Meeting  House  was  lamentably  out  of  repair,  the 
roof  leaky,  admitting  snow  and  rain ;  six  of  the  eight  windows 
unglazed ;  the  fences  about  the  ground  clamoring  to  be  re- 
built. The  woe-begone  appearance  which  the  Church  pre- 
sented to  the  community  was  painfully  significant  of  inter- 
nal conditions.  The  congregation  was  reduced  to  a  very 
handful.  It  was  rent  by  serious  differences.  It  was  handi- 
capped by  a  reputation  for  lack  of  harmony.  A  church 
fight  was  no  more  of  an  aid  to  church  success  two  hundred 
years  ago  than  it  is  to-day.  The  community  at  large 
was  not  powerfully  drawn  to  the  support  of  an  organization 
whose  most  conspicuous  achievement  was  dissension.  The 
menace  of  impending  dissolution  seems  to  have  compelled  a 
truce  between  the  discordant  groups  in  the  church  member- 

35 


ship.  Divisive  questions  were  laid  upon  the  table.  All  par- 
ties joined  hands  and  girt  loins  for  fresh  start.  With  in- 
spiring unanimity  a  call  for  a  Pastor  was  issued.  It  is  a 
significant  fact  that  in  this  exigency  the  Church  directed  its 
appeal  to  the  opposite  quarter  of  the  theological  compass 
from  that  to  which  they  had  looked  for  Mr.  Anderson.  Hav- 
ing experimented  somewhat  unhappily  with  a  clergyman  of 
Scottish  extraction,  they  now  invited  as  their  leader  a  minister 
from  New  England.  A  statement  of  their  condition  and  an 
appeal  for  assistance  was  addressed  to  the  clergy  of  Boston. 
In  response  to  this  solicitation  a  young  licentiate  named 
Ebenezer  Pemberton  was  sent  in  the  spring  of  1727  as  a 
candidate  for  this  arduous  but  honorable  post.  At  the  time  of 
this  visit  Mr.  Pemberton  was  about  twenty-three  years  of  age. 
He  came  of  a  godly  ancestry.  He  was  a  child  of  the  manse. 
His  father  had  filled  one  of  the  pulpits  of  Boston  with  notable 
ability.  He  had  inherited  a  love  of  letters,  and  was  graduated 
from  Harvard  College  in  1721.  His  aptitude  for  future  war- 
fare as  a  good  soldier  of  Christ  had  been  indicated  by  a  three 
years  service  as  Chaplain  at  Castle  William  in  Boston  Harbor. 
The  impression  which  he  made  upon  the  congregation  in  New 
York  was  most  favorable  and  he  was  promptly  given  a  formal 
and  urgent  call  to  take  pastoral  charge  of  the  Presbyterian  en- 
terprise. In  the  quaint  language  of  the  Church  records  this 
call  was  issued  by  "the  scattered  remnants  of  the  first  under- 
takers with  some  few  others."  The  opening  of  the  pastorate  is 
thus  depicted :  "For  some  years  after  his  coming  the  congre- 
gation numbered  about  70  or  80  persons  old  and  young. 
The  salary  was  perpetually  in  arrears.  The  buildings  re- 
mained unfinished.  The  minister  was  greatly  discouraged. 
At  length  six  of  the  eight  windows  which  had  continued 
covered  with  boards  these  many  years  were  glazed.  The 
showers  of  Heaven  began  to  open  upon  the  congregation." 

Mr.  Pemberton  returned  to  New  England  to  receive  ordina- 
tion. This  service  was  held  in  Boston,  his  native  city,  August 
9,  1727.  The  sermon  on  this  occasion  was  from  the  text  "And 
behold  a  man  of  the  company  cried  out  saying,  Master  I  be- 
seech Thee  look  upon  my  son  for  he  is  mine  only  child."     The 


36 


reading  of  this  text  after  these  many  years,  recalls  the  emo- 
tions of  that  long  past  hour,  when  with  deeply  stirred  hearts 
that  company  of  great  souled  and  devoted  people  gathered  to 
send  forth,  with  mingled  anxieties  and  expectations,  upon  an 
adventure  of  extreme  peril,  and  high  consequence,  this  gifted 
youth  known  to  them  from  his  boyhood  and  honored  and  be- 
loved of  all  for  his  parent's  sake,  as  well  as  his  own.  The  ven- 
erable minister  elected  to  counsel  him,  dwelt  upon  the  young 
man's  parting  from  his  beloved  mother,  his  removing  from  the 
city  to  which  he  had  given  the  first  fruits  of  his  labor,  his  be- 
ing called  to  the  head  city  of  a  province  and  the  goodness  of 
God  in  having  schooled  him  for  this  service  and  inclined  him 
for  this  distant  and  important  work.  He  reminded  him  of 
the  hand  of  God  in  the  affection  of  the  flock  about  him,  and 
presented  as  a  motive  of  faithfulness  the  piety  of  his  parents 
and  grandparents.  He  enjoined  him  to  prepare  'beaten  oil 
and  sweet  incense  for  the  sanctuary,'  and  earnestly  to  con- 
tend against  the  common  errors  of  the  day,  maintain  the  doc- 
trine of  worship  and  discipline  established  from  the  begin- 
ning, assert  expressly  the  Trinity,  the  true  Godhead  of  Jesus, 
and  justification  by  faith,  insist  on  the  observance  of  the  Lord's 
Day  and  urge  the  duty  of  family  worship  and  family  govern- 
ment. These  were  his  concluding  words.  "The  God  of  New 
England,  before  whom  our  fathers  walked,  go  with  you  and 
give  you  the  blessing  of  Abraham  and  to  thy  seed."  With 
such  admonitions  and  benedictions,  the  youthful  preacher  ad- 
dressed himself  to  a  task,  from  which  brave  men  might  have 
turned  away. 

The  ministry  thus  inaugurated  was  marked  from  its  outset 
by  the  most  encouraging  success.  The  new  pastor  unified  the 
people  and  not  only  won  their  warmest  hearted  affection,  but 
also  the  respect  and  admiration  of  the  general  public.  The 
historian  Smith  being  witness  "he  was  a  man  of  polite  breed- 
ing, pure  morals,  and  warm  devotion ;  under  whose  incessant 
labors  the  congregation  greatly  increased.  He  was  a  respect- 
able, diligent  and  useful  pastor  and  preacher."  He  won  for 
himself  a  conspicuous  and  honorable  place  among  the  ministers 
of  the  city.     Those  who  enjoyed  his  preaching  and  through  a 

Z1 


long  term  of  years  were  shoulder  to  shoulder  with  him  in  the 
work  of  the  Church,  speak  with  a  warmer  accent.  Their  feel- 
ing glows  through  the  faded  ink  of  the  record  book  which 
states  "under  his  ministry,  by  the  Divine  Blessing,  this  Church 
and  congregation  has  happily  retrieved  its  honor  and  repu- 
tation, and  is  increased  to  at  least  ten  times  the  number  of 
those  who  statedly  attended  divine  worship.  .  .  .  After  long 
experience  of  him,  now  near  twenty  years,  in  a  profound  peace 
the  Church  has  greatly  flourished."  Such  gracious  issues  were 
not  the  work  of  a  day,  nor  the  result  of  accident,  nor  the  fruit 
of  child's  play.  Vigilance,  prudence,  and  prayers  without 
ceasing,  were  the  steps  along  the  road  over  which  the  church 
advanced  from  the  cloud  into  the  sunlight.  One  of  the  earliest 
acts  of  this  ministry  was  the  giving  of  stability  to  the  Church 
property  by  vesting  the  title  in  the  officials  of  the  Church  of 
Scotland.  It  had  become  apparent  that  all  endeavors  to  re- 
ceive charter  rights  from  the  City  government  must  prove 
futile  and  in  order  to  secure  such  guarantees  as  would  dissi- 
pate the  sense  of  insecurity,  which  hung  about  the  enterprise 
like  a  malaria,  the  individuals,  who  held  in  their  own  names  the 
Church  building  and  grounds  in  Wall  Street,  on  March  16th, 
1730,  conveyed  the  fee  simple  "to  the  Moderator  of  the  Gen- 
eral Assembly  of  the  Church  of  Scotland  and  the  Commission 
thereof,  the  principal  of  the  College  of  Edinburgh  and  the  Pro- 
fessor of  Divinity  therein,  the  Procurator  and  agent  of  the 
Church  of  Scotland  for  the  time  being,  and  their  successors  in 
office,  as  a  Committee  of  the  General  Assembly."  On  August 
15,  1732,  the  Church  of  Scotland  by  an  instrument  under  seal 
of  the  General  Assembly  signed  by  Mr.  Neil  Campbell,  Prin- 
cipal of  the  University  of  Glasgow  and  Moderator  of  the  Gen- 
eral Assembly  and  the  Commission  thereof,  Mr.  James  Nesbit, 
one  of  the  ministers  of  Edinburgh,  and  Moderator  of  the 
Presbytery  of  Edinburgh,  Mr.  William  Hamilton,  principal  of 
the  University  of  Edinburgh,  Mr.  James  Smith,  advocate  prose- 
cutor for  the  Church  of  Scotland,  did,  pursuant  to  an  act  of 
the  General  Assembly,  May,  1731,  declare  "That  notwith- 
standing the  aforesaid  right  made  to  them  and  their  successors 

38 


in  office,  they  were  desirous  that  the  aforesaid  building  and 
edifice  and  appurtenances  thereof,  be  preserved  for  the  pious 
and  religious  uses  for  which  the  same  were  designed,  and  that 
it  should  be  free  and  lawful  to  the  Presbyterians  then  residing 
or  that  should  at  any  time  thereafter  be  resident  in  or  near 
the  aforesaid  city  oi  New  York  in  America,  or  others  joining 
with  them  to  convene  in  the  aforesaid  Church  for  the  worship 
of  God  in  all  the  parts  therefor  and  for  the  dispensation  of  all 
gospel  ordinances,  and  generally  to  use  and  occupy  the  said 
Church  and  its  appurtenances  fully  and  freely  in  all  times 
coming,  they  maintaining  and  supporting  the  edifice  and  appur- 
tenances at  their  own  charge." 

The  Church  having  been  clothed  with  corporate  rights  as 
far  as  these  were  attainable,  its  legal  status  having  been  given 
satisfactory  definition  in  the  eyes  of  the  community  and  its 
confidence  in  its  own  future  having  been  advertised,  arrange- 
ments were  devised  for  its  proper  financing.  The  termination 
of  Mr.  Anderson's  ministry  had  plunged  the  Church  not  only 
into  disruption  but,  to  quote  the  language  of  the  contemporary 
Trustees,  left  it  burdened  with  "extreme  poverty."  To  resus- 
citate the  decrepit  money  supply  and  to  create  a  regular  and 
dependable  source  of  annual  revenue  engaged  the  attention 
of  the  Board  of  Control.  It  was,  reads  the  records,  "Unani- 
mously agreed  that  the  natural  fund  for  the  support  of  the 
ministry  and  salary  of  the  clerk  and  sexton  of  the  said  Church 
is  to  rent  the  Pews  and  seats,  the  money  arising  from  the 
opening  of  the  ground  for  Burials,  and  the  produce  of  the 
Pawl  and  the  Black  Cloth,  which  ought  to  be  so  rated  as  to 
answer  those  charges,  if  it  conveniently  can  be  done."  It  is 
not  without  interest  to  note  the  schedule  of  rating  for  the 
"Burials,"  which  was  evidently  depended  upon  as  the  major 
source  of  income.  The  tariff  upon  tombs  depended  upon 
their  location,  and  the  amount  to  be  paid,  for  adults,  was  re- 
duced for  children  under  fourteen.  For  grown  persons  buried 
within  the  Church,  the  cost  was  £5,  for  a  child  £1.3.  For  the 
honor  of  a  grave  in  front  of  the  Church,  more  must  be  paid 
than  for  interment  at  the  ends ;  while  an  obscure  and  hidden 
resting  place  "after  life's  fitful  fever"  might  be  obtained  in  the 

39 


hired  part  at  the  back,  for  the  very  moderate  sum  of  "three 
shilHngs."  If  the  Pawl  was  required,  the  price  was  one  shilHng. 
If  in  addition,  the  dignified  drapery  of  the  Black  Cloth  was 
sought,  six  shillings  must  be  paid.  In  this  connection  the 
Sexton  was  officially  admonished  that  "he  must  not  open  the 
ground  for  Burial,  but  after  some  creditable  personage  engag- 
ing to  pay  the  rates,  on  neglect  of  which,  such  charges  were  to 
be  made  to  himself."  Of  this  he  was  to  be  notified  immedi- 
ately. New  England  and  Scotland  might  dififer  in  theology, 
but  they  preached  the  same  gospel  of  thrift.  The  graveyard 
was  regarded  as  the  best  possible  real  estate  investment,  for  the 
Minutes  of  the  Trustees  continue  that  any  "surplus  was  to  re- 
main as  a  Church  stock,  for  the  purchase  of  ground  for  burial 
of  the  dead."  Apparently  a  member  of  the  Church  could 
scarcely  find  a  more  effective  way  of  serving  it,  than  by  dying 
for  it.  It  is  interesting  to  observe  that  the  burying  ground 
being  arranged  for,  the  next  most  desirable  use  to  which  the 
Church  funds  could  be  devoted,  was  the  "building  of  a  Steeple 
and  the  purchasing  of  a  Bell." 

While  the  financial  relations  of  the  Church  were  thus  being 
satisfactorily  established  Pemberton  was  giving  himself  to  the 
development  of  the  spiritual  possibilities  of  his  charge  with  a 
whole-hearted  zeal  that,  says  the  Minute  Book,  "came  to  bear 
exceeding  heavy  upon  the  minister."  He  preached  twice  every 
Sabbath  Day.  The  elaborate  sermons  of  the  morning  were 
supplemented  by  a  scriptural  exposition  every  Sunday  evening. 
The  ordinary  round  of  catechetical  and  pastoral  visitation  cre- 
ating a  demand  for  increased  religious  instruction,  it  was  sup- 
plemented by  introducing  weekly  and  occasional  lectures.  The 
mid-week  lecture,  being  an  innovation,  occasioned  the  ever 
ready  critic  to  circulate  a  sneer  "concerning  some  who  pretend 
to  water  what  God  has  planted,  by  setting  up  lectures." 

The  anxious  readiness  of  Mr.  Pemberton  to  undertake  what- 
ever might  strengthen  the  Church  influence  and  the  singular 
ingenuity  of  faultfinders  in  discovering  grounds  for  attack,  is 
made  apparent  by  a  curious  entry  in  the  old  records :  "Whereas 
it  has  been  a  practice  in  the  Churches  and  congregations  East 
and  West  to  have  funerals  attended  with  more  religious  form 

40 


that  hath  been  usual  among  us,  and  the  French  and  Dutch 
Churches  in  the  city,  and  the  want  of  it  hath  given  unpleas- 
antness to  several  well  disposed  persons,  and  Mr.  Pemberton 
having  offered  to  attend  that  service  gratis  (if  desired)  by  a 
funeral  prayer,  either  in  the  Church,  (if  the  relatives  of  the 
deceased  will  be  at  all  expense  of  candles,)  or  at  the  grave,  if 
candles  are  not  provided,  it  is  unanimously  approved  and  con- 
sented to,  that  that  practice  be  introduced  into  this  congrega- 
tion, in  cases  where  it  shall  be  desired,  and  lest  any  innovations 
may  give  offense,  that  Mr.  Pemberton  take  further  consent 
of  the  whole  people,  if  he  think  proper."  The  majority  en- 
dorsing cordially  this  scheme,  it  became  the  customary  cere- 
monial. Where  the  immense  banking  houses  now  cluster  so 
thickly  upon  Wall  Street,  Mr.  Pemberton,  long  ago  in  those 
homespun  days,  stood  in  the  plain  unfinished  candle  lighted 
meeting  house,  or  with  a  circle  of  mourning  friends  whose 
means  were  unequal  to  providing  "candles,"  at  the  brink  of  the 
open  grave  in  the  church  yard,  as  the  evening  shadows  deep- 
ened, and  offered  prayer  for  the  healing  of  the  broken  heart, 
and  for  the  fortifying  of  the  troubled  faith.  A  minority  of 
the  people  resented  this  custom,  and  never  entirely  forgave 
the  Pastor  for  its  practice. 

The  most  marked  access  of  spiritual  prosperity  and  the 
establishment  of  the  Church  upon  enduring  foundations  was 
the  result  of  the  visit  of  that  Chrysostom  of  the  Nineteenth 
Century,  George  Whitfield.  This  man  of  God,  gifted  with  phe- 
nomenal power,  "uniting  the  intellect  of  a  cherub  with  the  heart 
of  a  seraph  and  the  eloquence  of  an  apostle,"  visited  New  York 
in  the  year  1739.  The  preaching  places  of  the  City  were  barred 
against  his  occupancy.  Mr.  Pemberton  was  the  only  clergy- 
man of  the  City  who  opened  to  him  the  doors  of  his  Church. 
His  ministrations  unsealed  a  well  spring  of  blessing.  The 
entrance  of  the  Church  upon  the  path  of  its  long  and  distin- 
guished metropolitan  ministry  dates  from  his  advent. 
Throngs  flocked  to  hear  his  message.  Few  who  came  within 
the  sound  of  his  voice  remained  unmoved  in  heart.  The  First 
Presbyterian  Church  became  recognized  throughout  the  town 
as  a  centre  of  holy  influence,  and  a  seat  of  religious  power. 

41 


In  a  warm  hearted  letter  from  Mr.  Pemberton  to  Whitfield,  the 
effects  of  the  evangelist's  visit  are  graphically  described.  Un- 
der date  of  November  28,  1739,  he  writes:  "I  found  the  next 
day  that  you  had  left  the  town  under  a  deep  and  universal  con- 
cern, many  were  greatly  affected,  and  I  hope  abiding  impres- 
sions were  left  upon  some.  Some  that  were  before  loose  and 
profligate  look  back  with  shame  upon  their  past  lives  and  con- 
versations and  seem  resolved  upon  a  thorough  reformation.  I 
mention  these  things  to  strengthen  you  in  the  blessed  cause 
you  are  engaged  in  and  support  you  under  your  abundant 
labors.  When  I  heard  so  many  were  concerned  for  their 
welfare,  I  appointed  a  lecture  upon  Wednesday  evening,  the 
it  was  not  a  usual  season,  and  though  the  notice  was  short.  We 
had  a  numerous  and  attentive  audience.  In  short  I  cannot  but 
hope  your  coming  among  us  has  been  the  means  of  awakening 
some  among  us  to  a  serious  sense  of  practical  religion  and  may 
be  the  beginning  of  a  good  work  in  this  secure  and  sinful 
place.  Let  your  prayers  be  joined  with  mine  for  this  desirable 
blessing.  I  desire  your  prayers  for  me  in  particular  that  I 
may  be  faithful  in  my  Master's  work,  that  I  may  be  an  instru- 
ment in  the  hands  of  the  Lord  for  the  putting  down  of  the 
stronghold  of  sin  and  Satan  and  building  the  Redeemers  King- 
dom in  this  place.     Your  affectionate  brother,  E.  Pemberton." 

Dr.  Nicoll,  whose  unremitting  and  long  continued  labors 
were  nearing  their  close,  records  with  grateful  pen  the  Pente- 
costal events  which  moved  him  to  sing  "Nunc  dimittis."  Un- 
der the  date  of  October,  1740,  he  writes  to  the  Agent  of  the 
Church  of  Scotland : 

"A  large  increase  of  gifts  was  bestowed  upon  the  Minister. 
The  divine  presence  manifestly  appeared  among  our  people 
so  that  upon  our  doors  might  be  written  "Jehovah  Jireh,  the 
Lord  is  there."  The  edifice  became  quite  full,  which  some  of 
us  for  a  long  time  scarce  hoped  to  see.  The  effects  were  vis- 
ible in  the  town,  particularly  in  our  congregation,  and  in  my 
own  family.  Little  children  followed  Mr.  Pemberton  to  his 
lodgings  weeping  and  anxiously  concerned  about  the  salvation 
of  their  souls.     The  Good  Lord  hath  stirred  up  Gilbert  and 

42 


Mr.   Tennant  but   Satan  is  using  his  utmost   effort  to  drive 
some  of  them  to  extremes." 

An  emphatic  indication  of  the  expanding  influence  of  the 
Church  and  the  prominence  and  capacity  of  its  Pastor  is  at- 
tested by  the  part  Mr.  Pemberton  was  called  upon  to  play  in 
the  establishment  of  Princeton  College.  He  became  affiliated 
with  a  constellation  of  the  brightest  minds  in  the  Synod,  who 
were  anxiously  desirous  of  erecting  an  institution  of  learning 
for  the  training  of  ministers.  In  their  deliberations  and  en- 
deavors he  seems  to  have  taken  no  small  part.  An  advertise- 
ment in  the  Weekly  Post  Boy,  February  10th,  1846,  announces 
the  practical  outcome  of  their  plans. 

"Whereas  a  Charter,  with  full  and  ample  privileges,  has 
been  granted  by  his  Majesty  under  seal  to  the  Province  of 
New  Jersey,  bearing  date  of  22  October  1746  for  erecting  a 
College  in  said  province,  to  J.  Dickinson,  John  Pierson,  Ebe- 
nezer  Pemberton,  and  Adam  Birn,  Ministers  of  the  gospel,  and 
some  other  gentlemen  as  Trustees  of  the  said  College,  by  such 
Charter  equal  liberties  and  privileges  are  secured  to  every 
denomination  of  Christians,  any  different  religious  sentiments 
notwithstanding." 

In  his  history  of  Princeton  College,  Dr.  John  Maclean,  its 
venerated  President,  ascribes  the  successful  launching  of  the 
enterprise  very  largely  to  Dr.  Pemberton  and  his  friend  and 
adviser,  William  Smith.  Governor  Belcher,  the  Chief  Magis- 
trate of  New  Jersey,  under  whose  patronage  the  charter  of  the 
College  was  obtained,  writes  to  Mr.  Pemberton  "as  to  a  new 
charter,  if  you  and  the  rest  of  the  gentlemen  will  digest  their 
matter,  and  let  me  have  a  rough  of  it,  you  will  be  sure  of  my 
protection."  It  was  Mr.  Smith,  an  officer  of  the  First  Church, 
who  'roughed  out'  the  main  provisions  of  the  charter  under 
which  the  College  was  organized,  and  designed  its  official  seal. 
Both  he  and  his  Pastor  became  Trustees  of  Old  Nassau,  Mr. 
Pemberton  holding  office  until  his  removal  to  New  York,  Mr. 
Smith  remaining  in  office  until  his  death.  From  that  day  until 
the  death  of  Dr.  Paxton,  the  First  Church  has  never  lacked  at 
least  one  representative  in  the  administrative  Board  of  the  Col- 

43 


lege.     The  first  recipient  of  the  degree  of  "D.D."  conferred  by 
the  new  institution  was  Mr.  Pemberton. 

In  1729,  two  years  after  Mr.  Pemberton's  coming  to  New 
York,  the  Dutch  congregation  had  become  so  prosperous  that 
a  new  and  imposing  church  had  been  erected  at  no  great  dis- 
tance from  the  place  of  Presbyterian  worship.  It  was  located 
upon  Nassau  Street  below  Cedar  and  Liberty  Streets.  It  was 
of  great  size,  capable  of  containing  twelve  hundred  people. 
It  possessed  no  small  architectural  pretension.  The  view  from 
its  lofty  steeple  was  famed  throughout  the  city  for  beauty  and 
extent.  Some  seven  years  later  the  Presbyterian  folk  had 
witnessed  the  rebuilding  and  enlargement  of  Trinity  Church, 
its  next-door  neighbor  on  the  West.  "It  was  attractively  lo- 
cated on  the  banks  of  the  Hudson  (to  quote  the  history  of 
William  Smith).  On  either  side  lay  its  cemetery,  enclosed 
with  a  paled  and  painted  fence.  Before  it  stretched  a  long 
walk  to  the  riverside.  The  building  was  of  extensive  and 
stately  proportions  and  crowned  with  a  lofty  spire.  The  door- 
way facing  riverwards,  was  inscribed  with  a  Latin  memorial 
of  the  royal  favor  under  which  the  Church  was  founded.  The 
interior  was  the  most  elaborate  in  the  city.  The  chancel  was 
graced  with  a  beautiful  altar  piece.  The  pillars  were  crested 
with  winged  angels  gilded.  The  walls  were  decorated  with 
heraldic  insignias  of  its  noble  adherents.  Two  'glass  branches' 
depended  from  the  ceiling.  The  'allies'  were  paved  with 
smoothed  stone."  The  contrast  between  these  tokens  of  abun- 
dant success  and  the  leaky  roof  and  weather  beaten  walls,  the 
unseemly  fences  and  boarded  windows,  and  "candles  if  pro- 
vided" must  have  irked  the  members  of  the  Presbyterian  con- 
gregation, and  have  hindered  its  impact  upon  the  community. 

At  length  came  the  turn  of  the  tide.  The  wise  lines 
along  which  the  Church  work  was  prosecuted  under  Mr. 
Pemberton's  ministry,  his  personal  devotion  and  force 
of  character,  the  widespread  and  enduring  results  of 
Mr.  Whitfield's  work,  bore  its  appropriate  fruit.  The  size  of 
the  church  edifice  became  inadequate  to  the  demands  of  the 
enlarging  congregation.  Galleries  were  added  and  quickly 
filled.     The  services  of  an  Assistant  Minister  were  required. 

44 


In  1748  circumstances  forced  the  people  to  study  the  exciting 
proposition  of  the  enlargement  of  the  Church.  With  the  as- 
sistance of  outside  aid,  the  necessary  funds  were  obtained,  and 
the  rebuilding  of  the  Church  prosecuted  to  a  happy  and  longed 
for  issue.  The  edifice  was  larger  by  one-third  than  that  which 
it  replaced.  It  was  built  of  hewn  stone.  Its  shape  was  oblong, 
being  eighty  feet  in  length  by  sixty  feet  in  breadth.  A  grace- 
ful steeple  towered  aloft  at  the  southwestern  end  one  hundred 
and  forty-four  feet  in  height.  A  Memorial  Stone  of  black  slate 
was  procured  from  Boston  and  imbedded  in  the  Church  wall 
between  the  two  long  windows  fronting  the  street.  The  in- 
scription composed  by  Mr.  William  Smith  was  in  Latin  and 
was  most  artistically  engraved  in  script  upon  the  stone  in  gilt 
letters.  Translated  into  English  it  reads:  "By  the  favor  of 
God  this  building  consecrated  for  the  perpetual  celebration  of 
the  divine  worship,  first  erected  in  1719  and  afterward  repaired 
throughout  and  rebuilded  larger  and  more  beautiful  in  1748, 
the  Presbyterians  of  New  York  founding  it  for  their  own  use 
and  the  use  of  their  children,  in  this  Votive  Tablet  dedicate  it 
to  the  God  who  gave  it.  May  it  be  yet  more  illustriously 
adorned  by  religious  concord,  by  love,  and  by  purity  of  faith 
and  manners,  and  by  the  blessing  of  Christ  may  it  endure 
throughout  many  generations," 

A  memorandum  upon  the  Trustee  Book  records  the  fact  that 
"10  September  1749,  the  bell  was  rung  from  a  Presbyterian 
steeple  for  the  first  time  in  the  city  of  New  York."  It  is  not 
easy  for  us  to  appreciate  the  thrill  which  these  bell  notes  wak- 
ened. Every  description  of  a  church  in  Smith's  History  of  the 
earl}^  City,  Dutch,  French  or  Episcopalian,  notes  that  their 
buildings  have  "a  steeple  and  a  bell."  When  the  church  roof 
was  open  to  the  weather  and  the  building  of  disreputable  ap- 
pearance, and  the  necessity  for  ground  in  which  to  bury  their 
dead  with  decency  and  safety  was  crying  aloud,  the  Presby- 
terian heart  burned  with  an  irrepressible  determination  to 
compass  the  possession  of  a  "Bell."  The  reason  is  explicitly 
stated,  "Not  only  to  call  the  congregation  together,"  say  they, 
"but  also  for  want  of  the  more  honorable  support  of  the  divine 
worship,  and  to  take  away  our  Reproach,  it  being  a  vulgar 

45 


error  among  us  that  we  are  incapable  of  the  privilege."  When 
at  length  a  peal  from  a  Presbyterian  steeple  rang  out  over  the 
city,  it  sounded  to  them  as  the  voice  of  an  angel  from  heaven. 
That  bell  note  announced  the  removal  of  their  "Reproach."  It 
heralded  their  entry  into  the  goodly  fellowship  of  the  Churches 
of  the  City.  It  rang  out  weary  days  of  darkness,  dissension 
and  defeat. 

Under  Dr.  Pemberton's  able  leadership  the  attendance  of  the 
Church  was  so  greatly  increased  and  the  scope  of  its  work  en- 
larged, that  its  care  exceeded  the  powers  of  a  single  minister. 
The  Rev.  Alexander  Cumming,  a  young  man  who  as  Stated 
Supply  of  a  church  in  New  Brunswick,  N.  J.,  had  given  prom- 
ise of  brilliant  success,  was  called  to  be  an  Assistant  Pastor. 
In  October,  1750,  he  entered  upon  his  duties.  Of  Scottish  an- 
cestry and  possessing  an  energetic  personality  and  a  disciplined 
mentality,  he  proved  himself  a  worthy  associate  of  the  accom- 
plished and  successful  Pemberton,  sympathizing  with  him  in 
his  liberal  views  of  church  order,  and  manifesting  commend- 
able elasticity  of  thought  in  adapting  himself  to  whatever 
changes  of  plan  and  effort  the  problems  of  the  church  life  de- 
manded. A  clear  thinker,  a  forcible  preacher,  a  companion- 
able man,  he  won  the  admiration  and  affection  of  the  people 
of  the  Church,  and  secured  for  himself  an  enviable  standing  in 
the  community. 

The  marked  ability  and  spirituality  of  this  dual  pastorate 
seemed  a  guarantee  of  the  Church's  prosperous  advance.  But 
the  classic  root  of  ecclesiastical  dissension  suddenly  yielded  its 
baleful  fruit.  There  is  no  such  inevitable  destroyer  of  church 
harmony  as  church  music.  Upon  the  question  of  its  hymnol- 
ogy,  the  congregation  disintegrated  into  cliques.  "Rouse's 
Version,"  "Watt's  Imitation,"  "Tate  and  Brady's  Transla- 
tion" became  the  jarring  watchwords  of  different  groups  of  the 
people,  and  soon  rang  out  as  clamorously  and  scarcely  less 
bitterly  than  the  slogans  of  political  parties.  Each  group  firmly 
believed  itself  to  be  "contending  earnestly  for  the  faith  once  for 
all  delivered  to  the  saints."  Presbytery  in  vain  strove  to  calm 
the  storm.  The  episcopal  power  of  the  Synod  was  invoked. 
After  protracted  discussion,  permission  was  given  to  use  in  the 

46 


worship  of  the  Church  the  version  of  Watt's,  as  well  as  that 
of  Rouse.  The  rigid  advocates  of  the  traditional  psalmody,  in 
the  intensity  of  their  feeling,  began  to  formulate  complaints 
against  their  Pastors,  and  feathered  their  shafts  by  adducing 
various  charges  of  ministerial  delinquency,  in  addition  to  that 
of  an  heretical  indifiference  to  the  exclusive  use  of  the  Scottish 
Psalm  Book.  Charges  were  tabled  under  the  following  bill 
of  particulars : 

"(1) — For  giving  exhortations  at  funerals  when  requested 
by  friends  of  deceased  persons  to  do  so.  (2) — For  not  pay- 
ing formal  ministerial  visits  according  to  the  usage  of  the 
Church  of  Scotland.  (3) — For  making  the  introductory 
prayer  in  public  worship,  reading  the  Scriptures  and  giving  out 
the  first  Psalm  from  the  Clerk's  desk,  instead  of  the  pulpit, 
(4) — For  secretly  favoring  the  introduction  of  the  new  system 
of  psalmody."  Mr.  Cumming  was  also  charged  with  the  sin 
of  "insisting  upon  family  prayer  as  a  necessary  prerequisite  in 
everyone  to  whose  child  he  administered  baptism."  This  in- 
dictment was  tabled  and  tried  before  the  Presbytery  and  Synod, 
and  the  ministers  completely  exonerated.  Dr.  Pemberton, 
sickened  by  the  lack  of  spirituality  among  the  people,  which 
threatened  to  overthrow  all  that  he  had  accomplished,  and  Mr. 
Cumming,  burdened  with  declining  health,  together  withdrew 
from  the  pastorate.  This  action  seems  in  some  measure  to 
have  opened  the  eyes  of  the  people.  Left  pastorless  as  the 
result  of  the  unhappy  dissensions,  the  sobered  and  saddened 
congregation  appointed  a  day  of  humiliation,  fasting  and 
prayer,  which  was  observed  with  great  solemnity,  upon  the  31st 
of  December,  1758.  The  sad  situation  which  had  been  created, 
received  significant  emphasis  in  the  inability  of  the  Church  to 
induce  anyone  to  accept  the  pastoral  care  of  so  unruly  a  flock. 
In  1753  Dr.  Joseph  Bellamy  of  Connecticut  was  called. 
Extraordinary  pressure  was  brought  to  bear  upon  him  in  the 
effort  to  induce  him  to  come  to  "poor  New  York,"  but  the 
invitation  again  and  again  repeated  was  steadfastly  declined. 
In  1754  Mr.  John  Rogers  of  Delaware  was  urgently  besought 
to  occupy  the  pulpit.  A  refusal  of  the  summons  was  returned 
by  the  messenger  who  brought  it.     In  1755  the  Rev.  David 

47 


McGregore  of  New  Hampshire  was  appealed  to,  but  saw  no 
encouragement  to  adventure  himself  among  a  people  at  such 
loggerheads  among  themselves.  A  few  months  later  a  call 
was  extended  to  the  Rev.  David  Bostwick  of  Jamaica,  L.  I. 
The  Presbytery  hesitated  to  place  the  call  in  his  hands,  and  re- 
ferred the  subject  to  the  Synod.  The  Synod  found  the  ques- 
tion attended  with  so  many  difficulties,  that  it  was  placed  in  the 
hands  of  a  Commission.  After  protracted  debate,  it  was  deter- 
mined to  issue  the  call  to  Mr.  Bostwick.  Upon  his  signifying 
his  inability  to  reach  a  decision,  the  Synodical  Commission 
advised  him  that  in  their  judgment  his  path  of  duty  led  to 
New  York.  In  the  late  spring  of  1756  he  was  inducted  into 
the  pastorate.  The  result  justified  expectation.  Gifted, 
trained,  consecrated,  he  exercised  from  the  start  a  command- 
ing influence.  A  popular  preacher,  a  wise  counsellor  and  an 
effective  administrator  regained  the  Church's  prestige,  and 
won  for  it  and  for  himself  a  high  standing  in  the  community. 
Early  in  his  ministry  the  little  troop  of  those  who  were  out 
of  tune  on  account  of  the  Psalmody  withdrew,  and,  securing 
the  services  of  Dr.  John  Mason,  organized  the  Scotch  Church. 
This  division  of  forces  proved  a  real  reinforcement  of  the 
Presbyterian  order.  By  this  move,  the  clash  of  cliques,  whose 
collisions  had  shaken  as  with  an  earthquake  the  foundations 
of  the  Church,  came  to  an  end.  The  stability  and  harmony 
of  the  parent  Church  was  assured,  while  a  second  company 
of  adherents  to  the  Presbyterian  faith  and  order  moved  out 
upon  a  new  line  of  development. 

The  pulpit  ability  of  Mr.  Bostwick  is  witnessed  to  by  many 
who  listened  to  his  preaching.  President  Davies  of  Nassau 
Hall  asserted  "He  has,  I  think,  the  best  style  extempore  of 
any  man  I  ever  heard."  William  Smith,  the  historian  of  Old 
New  York,  a  member  of  his  congregation,  writes  in  glowing 
terms :  "Of  mild  and  Catholic  disposition,  with  prudence  and 
zeal,  he  confines  himself  entirely  to  the  proper  business  of  his 
function.  In  the  art  of  preaching  he  is  one  of  the  most  distin- 
guished clergymen  in  these  parts.  His  discourses  are  method- 
ical, sound,  pathetic  in  sentiment,  in  point  of  diction  singularly 
ornamented.     He  delivers  himself  without  notes,  and  yet  with 

48 


great  ease  and  fluency  of  expression,  and  performs  every  part 
of  divine  worship  with  a  striking  solemnity."  The  native 
strength  of  his  character  which  gave  its  dynamic  influence  to 
his  gentle  and  tactful  dealing  with  delicate  questions,  and  those 
"unreasonable  men"  (whose  forebears  were  such  a  vexation 
of  spirit  to  St.  Paul  in  the  Thessalonian  Church)  shines  out 
in  his  decision  to  remain  at  his  post  while  a  scourge  of  small- 
pox was  raging  in  the  city.  "I  had  rather  die  in  the  way  of 
duty,"  he  said,  "than  save  my  life  by  running  out  of  it." 

The  health  of  Mr.  Bostwick  becoming  seriously  impaired, 
the  Rev.  Joseph  Treat  of  the  Presbytery  of  New  Brunswick 
was  invited  to  become  his  colleague.  In  November,  1763,  Mr. 
Bostwick  died  in  the  forty-fourth  year  of  his  age,  in  the  quaint 
phrase  of  that  time,  "being  remarkably  supported." 

The  congregation  which  had  now  become  large  and  influen- 
tial, once  more  called  the  Rev.  John  Rodgers  to  undertake  its 
pastoral  care.  This  summons  he  was  induced  to  accept,  and 
removed  from  Newcastle,  Delaware,  to  New  York  City,  in  the 
summer  of  1765.  On  the  fourth  of  September  in  that  year 
he  was  inducted  into  the  pastorate  of  the  First  Church.  The 
John  Rodgers  burned  at  the  stake  in  Smithfield  market  and 
immortalized  in  the  New  England  Primer,  was  his  ancestor. 
Born  in  Boston,  of  parents  who  had  emigrated  to  America 
from  Londonderry,  he  spent  his  youth  and  early  manhood  in 
Philadelphia,  reaching  New  York  by  way  of  Newcastle,  Dela- 
ware. The  sturdiness  of  the  Scotch-Irish,  the  intelligence  of 
the  New  Englander,  the  breadth  and  humanity  of  the  colony 
of  William  Penn,  combined  to  endow  his  character  with  a 
blend  of  winsomeness,  dignity  and  force.  In  his  boyhood  the 
hand  of  George  Whitfield  led  him  to  the  cross.  The  inter- 
weaving of  Whitfield's  life  with  the  hfe  of  the  First  Church 
is  of  singular  interest.  To  his  vitalizing  presence  was  due  the 
lifting  of  the  shadows  which  lowered  so  heavily  during  its 
earlier  years  and  menaced  so  seriously  its  continuance. 
Through  his  instrumentality  was  given  to  it  the  most  influ- 
ential of  its  leaders,  the  man  who  made  the  deepest  impress 
upon  the  religious  life  of  the  City  in  his  time,  and  who  will 
remain  to  all  time  an  outstanding  figure  in  the  annals  of  Chris- 

49 


tianity  in  New  York.  At  an  out-door  meeting,  which  Whit- 
field addressed  from  the  steps  of  the  Court  House  on  Market 
Street,  Philadelphia,  a  boy  stood  near  him  holding  a  lantern 
for  his  accommodation.  As  he  listened  he  became  absorbed, 
impressed,  agitated,  until,  forgetful  of  his  task,  the  lantern 
dropped  from  his  hand  and  was  dashed  to  pieces.  That  twelve 
year  old  lad  was  John  Rodgers.  The  message  of  the  preacher 
so  dominated  him  that  he  there  and  then  consecrated  himself 
to  the  service  of  Christ,  and  to  life's  end,  with  a  steady  and 
unfailing  hand,  he  held  high  the  shining  lamp  of  a  glowing  wit- 
ness to  Him  who  is  the  Saviour  of  the  world. 

After  his  successful  novitiate  in  Newcastle,  he  came  to 
his  City  Parish  in  the  prime  of  his  young  manhood.  From 
the  moment  of  his  entrance  upon  this  responsible  service, 
the  Church  began  to  tingle  with  the  pulse  of  a  new  vigor. 
Congregations  enlarged.  Conversions  multiplied.  Spirituality 
developed.  Character  was  schooled.  Problems  were  solved. 
High  ideals  of  life  were  created.  Large  visions  of  work  awak- 
ened. Loyalty  to  historic  faith,  with  generous  hospitality  to- 
ward the  religious  views  of  others,  was  the  keynote  of  this 
ministry.  Upon  one  occasion  when  requested  by  his  church 
officers  to  preach  against  the  errors  of  a  particular  sect,  and  to 
warn  his  people  against  them,  Rodgers  characteristically  re- 
plied : 

"Brethren  you  must  excuse  me.  I  cannot  reconcile  it  with 
my  sense  either  of  policy  or  duty  to  oppose  these  people  from 
the  pulpit  otherwise  than  by  preaching  the  truth  plainly  and 
faithfully.  I  believe  them  to  be  in  error,  but  let  us  outpreach 
them,  outpray  them  and  outlive  them,  and  we  need  not  fear." 

Not  only  did  the  First  Church  under  such  leadership  win 
an  honored  and  influential  place  in  the  growing  municipality, 
but  upon  the  destiny  of  the  country  at  large  she  began  to 
exert  a  marked  and  beneficial  effect.  The  Revolution  was 
just  at  hand  and  in  precipitating  that  movement  for  the  liberty 
of  America,  and  in  giving  it  the  impulse  which  brought  it  to 
a  triumphant  close,  this  Church  played  no  small  part.  The 
same  quenchless  love  of  freedom  which  resented  the  en- 
croachments of  ecclesiastical  domination,  arrayed  the  Presby- 

50 


terians  against  the  tyranny  of  the  state  and  kindled  the  fires 
upon  the  altar  of  patriotism. 

Upon  the  rolls  of  the  First  Church  were  the  names  of  the 
leading  spirits  among  New  York  patriots.  Its  Pastor  was 
marked  as  "an  early  and  decided  friend  of  American  Inde- 
pendence" and  there  was  at  least  one  Tory  protest  filed  against 
the  ardor  of  his  prayers  for  the  Independence  of  the  Colonies, 
and  the  success  of  the  American  Revolution.  In  1752  a  Club 
was  formed  to  resist  the  aggressions  of  the  throne.  Three 
men  became  conspicuous  as  its  leaders  and  being  affiliated 
with  the  Presbyterian  Church  have  gone  down  to  history  as 
the  "Presbyterian  Triumvirate."  A  loyalist  historian  of  the 
day  finds  in  the  fact  of  their  Presbyterianism,  the  only  pos- 
sible explanation  of  their  arraying  themselves  upon  the  side 
of  what  to  him  was  "anarchy  and  confusion."  Following  the 
Stamp  Act  the  Society  known  as  the  Sons  of  Liberty  was 
organized  and  from  the  faith  of  its  members  became  popularly 
known  as  "The  Presbyterian  Junto."  Some  two  score  dele- 
gates were  appointed  to  attend  the  Provincial  Congress.  Of 
this  number  the  name  of  Livingston  is  on  our  Communion  sil- 
ver; that  of  Broome  upOn  the  wall  beside  the  pulpit;  that  of 
McDougal,  upon  the  tablet  near  the  door;  that  of  Smith,  upon 
the  register  of  membership. 

At  the  time  of  the  Revolution  the  Church  building  upon 
Wall  Street  was  used  by  the  British  soldiery  as  barracks  and 
riding  school.  The  British  soldiery  paid  Presbyterianism  the 
compliment  of  recognizing  the  devotion  of  the  members  of  that 
persuasion  to  the  cause  of  civil  and  religious  liberty  by  defacing 
and  wantonly  destroying  their  church  property,  while  the 
church  holdings  of  other  denominations  were  scarcely  inter- 
fered with. 

As  a  citizen  the  Pastor  of  the  First  Church  exercised  a 
controlling  influence  upon  public  afifairs.  Social  distinction 
came  to  him  as  inevitably  as  iron  to  the  magnet.  In  the 
counsels  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  throughout  the  land  he 
rose  to  a  commanding  position.  Early  chosen  a  Trustee  of 
Princeton  College,  he  became  the  bosom  companion  of  John 
Witherspoon,    its    distinguished    President,    whose    burning 

51 


words  swung  the  scale  when  the  Continental  Congress  de- 
bated issuing  the  Declaration  of  Independence.  Before  the 
war  of  the  Revolution  he  was  recognized  throughout  the 
Colonies  as  a  mouthpiece  of  patriotism.  During  the  struggle 
he  was  the  intimate  friend  and  confidential  correspondent  of 
General  Washington.  As  Chaplain  oi  Heath's  Brigade  he 
served  in  the  line  of  the  Continental  Army.  The  station  of 
his  military  charge  was  near  the  site  of  the  old  brewery  build- 
ing which  has  just  been  removed  from  the  corner  of  Seventh 
Avenue  and  11th  Street.  The  detachment  was  quartered  in 
a  near-by  grove,  a  locality  marked  by  the  present  Grove  Street. 
"There,"  said  Rodgers,  "I  held  my  church  for  the  entire  sum- 
mer," little  foreseeing  that  his  City  charge  would  in  the  after 
time  erect  its  present  home  in  such  close  proximity  that  had  it 
been  standing  there  at  that  time  its  bell  notes  might  have  been 
heard  among  the  tents.  The  vicissitudes  of  the  Revolution 
drove  him  from  place  to  place.  Wherever  he  went  he 
preached.  Many  towns  heard  his  ringing  message  and  cherish 
grateful  memories  of  his  unique  personality.  Following  the 
record  of  a  Session  Meeting  held  December  11th,  1775,  is  ap- 
pended the  following  note:  "N.  B.  The  Congregation  was 
dispersed  during  the  Summer  following  this  date,  by  the  late 
War,  and  was  not  collected  again  till  the  Autumn  of  1783, 
when  Dr.  Rodgers  and  a  considerable  number  of  the  Con- 
gregation returned  after  the  Evacuation  of  the  City  by  the 
British  Troops  which  took  place  on  the  25th  day  of  Novem- 
ber that  year." 

At  the  heels  of  the  retreating  British  came  the  scattered 
Presbyterians,  regathering.  As  the  King's  troops  marched  out 
of  the  town.  Dr.  Rodgers  and  his  band  of  patriotic  Church  folks 
marched  back  to  their  posts. 

Circumstances  having  delayed  the  return  to  New  York  of 
Rodger's  colleague,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Treat,  the  long  exiled  con- 
gregation at  its  reassembling  adopted  the  following  rather  pithy 
resolutions  of  reorganisation : 

"Resolved,  that  this  congregation  can  support  but  one  min- 
ister. 

52 


"Resolved,  that  the  Reverend  Doctor  Rodgers  be  that  min- 
ister. 

"Resolved,  that  a  committee  be  appointed  to  apply  to  the 
moderator  of  the  Presbytery,  and  request  him  to  call  a  meet- 
ing of  that  body  as  soon  as  convenient,  that  we  may  apply 
in  a  regular  manner  for  the  liberation  of  this  congregation 
from  the  Reverend  Mr.  Treat  as  one  of  our  ministers." 

John  Rodgers  was  the  Napoleon  of  New  York  Presbyterians. 
It  was  he  who  marshalled  its  forces,  led  its  advance,  won  its 
triumph,  and  endowed  it  with  a  prestige  which  it  has  never 
lost.  The  degree  of  Doctor  of  Divinity  came  to  him  from  the 
other  side  of  the  Atlantic.  At  the  request  of  Benjamin  Frank- 
lin, who  was  then  in  London,  the  Provost  of  the  University  of 
Edinburgh  brought  the  matter  to  the  attention  of  its  Regents 
and  the  unusual  and  notable  honor  was  conferred.  Sig- 
nal as  was  the  distinction  of  being  crowned  with  this  dig- 
nity by  a  foreign  university,  it  was  almost  as  unique  a  fact 
that  its  bestowal  should  have  been  solicited  by  Benjamin 
Franklin,  who  was  not  in  the  habit  of  burning  incense  before 
theologians.  That  the  American  Socrates  should  have  stood 
sponsor  for  the  Pastor  of  the  First  Church,  is  quite  as  illum- 
inating a  testimonial  to  the  broad  and  forceful  humanity  of 
Rodgers,  as  was  the  Edinburgh  diploma  to  his  distinction  in 
scholarship.  An  incidental  reference  to  him  from  the  pen  of 
Washington  Irving  is  quite  as  revealing,  in  picturing  him  as  his 
father's  pastor,  moving  among  his  fellows  with  an  innate  maj- 
esty of  bearing,  clad  in  garments  "invariably  neat,  elegant,  and 
spotless"  and  recalling  as  unforgettable  "his  silver  mounted 
cane  and  well  polished  shoes  with  silver  buckles."  Of  his 
home  life  it  is  recorded  "he  lives  in  elegant  style  and  enter- 
tains company  as  genteely  as  the  first  gentleman  in  the  City." 
If  credentials  of  his  social  eminence  were  required,  they  are 
found  in  the  fact  that  his  name  appears  upon  "Mrs.  Jay's 
Dinner  and  Supper  List,"  which  was  the  Roster  of  Respecta- 
bility for  the  city  of  that  day.  During  the  half  century  in 
which  he  administered  the  spiritual  affairs  of  this  people,  there 
was  no  more  commanding  figure,  no  more  influential  factor 

53 


in  New  York  life,  than  the  brave,  genial,  learned,  patriotic, 
spiritual  John  Rodgers. 

The  Commonwealth  recognized  his  genius  for  leadership. 
The  first  Convention  for  the  formation  of  a  Constitution  sum- 
moned him  to  its  Chaplaincy.  The  Committee  of  Seven  into 
which  the  Convention  merged,  and  the  Legislature  of  the  newly 
created  State  of  New  York  which  was  ultimately  created,  in- 
vested him  with  similar  honor. 

The  First  General  Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in- 
vited him  to  sit  in  the  Moderator's  Chair.  In  every  subsequent 
movement  toward  the  development  of  its  ecclesiastical  organiza- 
tion in  the  plans  for  its  work,  in  the  formation  and  definition 
of  its  standards,  his  influence  was  a  prime  factor.* 

Church  after  Church  was  organized  in  the  City  under  his 
superintendency.  At  one  time,  under  the  collegiate  system,  he 
presided  over  three  as  Pastor.  When,  heavy  with  years,  the  last 
public  act  of  his  life  was  the  laying  of  the  corner-stone  of  the 
Spring  Street  Church,  the  outgrowth  of  a  mission  Sunday 
School  from  the  parent  church  in  Wall  Street.  This  was  the 
sixth  Church  of  the  Presbyterian  order,  of  which  he  had  been 
the  master  builder. 

During  the  long  service  of  Dr.  Rodgers,  a  colony  from  the 
Wall  Street  Church  in  1768  hived  at  Beekman  Street,  and 
founded  a  Collegiate  Church.  It  was  the  eldest  child  of  the 
Old  First  Church.  From  the  material  of  its  building  it  was 
styled  the  Brick  Church,  which  title  it  has  cherished  until  this 
day.  By  its  service  to  the  community  and  its  unswerving  and 
effective  stand  for  the  things  that  are  most  excellent,  it  has 
made  the  "Brick"  to  stand  as  symbol  for  all  that  is  costly, 
splendid  and  enduring  in  character  building.  A  second  col- 
onization occurred  in  1789  upon  a  site  donated  by  Henry  Rut- 
gers, whose  generosity  has  been  perpetuated  throughout  the 
years  in  the  title  of  the  Rutgers  Presbyterian  Church, 
now  established  at  72nd  Street  and  Broadway.     With  some 


*  In  this  connection,  it  is  with  pardonable  satisfaction  I  note  that 
constantly  associated  with  Dr.  Rodger's  (in  apostolic  succession  to 
whom  it  is  my  happy  lot  to  serve  as  a  spiritual  descendant)  is  found 
the  name  of  my  lineal  ancestor,  Rev.  Dr.  George  Duffield. 

54 


modification  of  the  collegiate  system,  the  pastorate  of  this 
organization  was  administered  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Philip  Mille- 
doler,  under  whose  ministry  it  gained  the  largest  church  mem- 
bership in  the  United  States.  In  1807  a  further  colonization 
took  place.  Originally  established  upon  Cedar  Street,  it  mi- 
grated to  Fifth  Avenue  at  19th  Street,  and  has  since  been 
borne  by  the  tide  up  Fifth  Avenue  to  55th  Street.  The 
Collegiate  arrangement  under  which  until  to  this  time  the  Pres- 
byterian Churches  of  the  city  had  been  organized  and  operated, 
created  conditions  which  pastors  and  people  alike  found  incon- 
venient and  irksome.  The  formation  of  the  Cedar  Street 
Church  became  the  occasion  for  the  breaking  up  of  this  ar- 
rangement, which  Dr.  Miller  describes  as  "so  long  established 
and  so  highly  mischievous  in  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  New 
York." 

Subsequent  to  the  Revolution  three  colleagues  served  with 
Dr.  Rodgers  in  the  Pastorate.  The  Rev.  James  Wilson,  a 
licentiate  from  Scotland,  after  searching  probationary  tests 
continued  during  a  period  of  several  months,  was  ordained 
and  installed  as  collegiate  pastor  in  1785.  The  service  he 
rendered  was  acceptable,  but  at  the  end  of  three  years,  the 
briefest  ministry  in  the  Church's  history,  failing  health  com- 
pelled his  resignation.  His  successor  was  the  Rev.  John 
McKnight,  a  member  of  the  Presbytery  of  Carlisle,  who  was 
installed  1789.  For  twenty  years  he  discharged  the  duties  of 
his  office  with  conspicuous  ability.  In  1793  a  third  colleague 
was  added  to  the  pastoral  staff,  one  whose  equally  forceful 
handling  of  his  responsibihties  as  a  metropolitan  pastor  and 
later  as  Professor  in  Princeton  Theological  Seminary,  has 
written  his  name  large  in  the  chronicle  of  American  Pres- 
byterianism. 

If  Rodgers  was  the  Napoleon,  Samuel  Miller  was  the  Wash- 
ington Irving  of  New  York  Presbyterianism.  The  peculiar 
charm  which  clothed  that  man  of  letters  dwelt  in  marked  de- 
gree with  the  First  Church  pastor.  Young  and  magnetic, 
scholarly  and  spiritual,  gentle  and  forceful,  he  was  atmos- 
phered  with  that  distinction  which  is  the  hall-mark  of 
high  breeding.     The  eloquence  of  his  speech  and  of  his  life 

55 


alike  commanded  admiration  and  won  affection.  In  all  the 
notable  scenes  of  his  time  his  figure  appears.  In  shaping  the 
course  of  affairs  his  voice  was  continually  heard.  In  1809 
the  Historical  Society  celebrates  the  Two  Hundredth  Anni- 
versary of  the  discovery  of  the  Island  by  Hendrick  Hudson. 
At  that  Bi-Centennial  the  Old  First  Church  was,  through  its 
Pastor,  almost  as  prominent  as  it  is  at  this  one.  On  behalf  of 
the  municipality,  Dr.  Miller  delivered  the  Anniversary  Address 
in  the  Court  Room  of  the  City  Hall,  before  a  brilliant  and 
representative  audience,  including  the  Governor  of  New  York 
and  the  leaders  of  the  commercial,  intellectual,  and  social  world. 
A  movement  to  establish  Free  Schools  throughout  the  city  is 
launched  and  Dr.  Miller's  name  is  high  among  the  list  of  the 
incorporators.  The  Bible  Society  is  born,  his  Presbyterian 
hands  helped  to  rock  the  cradle.  Tammany  Hall  in  those  Days 
went  to  Church,  and  more  than  one  sermon  was  delivered 
before  them  by  Dr.  Miller.  It  is  to  be  feared  that  though  he 
piped  unto  them,  they  did  not  dance.  Had  his  words  been 
heeded  as  sedulously  as  they  were  needed,  Tammany  Hall 
might  have  become  an  academy  of  political  purity  instead  of — 
what  it  is  now  supposed  to  be.  When  the  Theological  Semi- 
nary was  founded  at  Princeton,  Dr.  Miller  was  selected  as  one 
of  the  foster  fathers  who  should  mould  the  infancy  of  this  most 
important  institution.  Reluctantly  he  relinquished  the  pulpit 
for  the  desk  and  became  co-professor  with  Archibald  Alex- 
ander. One-half  of  the  first  faculty  of  Princeton  Seminary 
was  furnished  by  the  Old  First  Church. 

The  opening  of  the  Erie  Canal  is  one  of  the  outstanding 
events  in  the  City's  history.  In  its  day  it  seemed  more  mo- 
mentous than  the  cutting  of  the  Island  of  Panama  in  ours. 
The  wedding  of  the  lakes  and  the  seas,  "our  Mediterraneans 
with  our  Atlantic"  as  De  Witt  Clinton  phrased  it,  marked  the 
beginning  of  modern  New  York.  The  resulting  municipal 
development  exceeded  anticipation.  Business  increased  by 
bounds.  The  roofs  of  the  city  rose  into  the  air.  Buildings 
went  skyward,  from  four  stories  to  fourteen.  The  streets  of 
the  City  swept  northward  and  remote  frontiers  became  trans- 
ferred into  residential  sections.     As  these  new  energies  began 

56 


to  play  through  the  life  of  the  community,  Dr.  William  Wirt 
Phillips  came  into  charge  of  the  First  Church.  The  tidal  wave 
of  life  then  surging  through  the  City  is  marked  by  the  removal 
of  the  Church  from  Wall  Street  to  the  location  where  it  now 
stands.  After  the  Revolution  the  Church  had  been  repaired,  at 
a  large  expense,  in  the  year  1784.  During  the  time  of  the  re- 
building, the  congregation  worshipped  in  old  St.  George's  and 
St.  Paul's,  which  were  offered  to  them  by  the  courtesy  of 
Trinity  Parish.  The  sermon  which  Dr.  Rodgers  preached 
upon  "The  Display  of  God's  Goodness  in  the  Revolutionary 
War"  was  delivered  from  the  pulpit  of  old  St.  George's 
Church.  In  1809  it  became  necessary  to  still  further  enlarge 
and  enrich  the  Church  building,  and  during  Dr.  Miller's  associ- 
ate pastorate  with  Dr.  Rodgers,  this  was  accomplished.  From 
December,  1809,  until  August  11th,  1811,  the  Church  wor- 
shipped in  the  French  Huguenot  Church,  which  was  then  upon 
Pine  Street.  The  first  movement  of  the  Church  from  Wall 
Street  to  its  present  location  was  suggested  by  Presbytery,  who 
deemed  it  wise  that  this  Church  of  unique  eminence  should 
leave  the  more  crowded  regions  of  the  lower  city  and  occupy 
a  frontier  post  on  Fifth  Avenue  and  12th  Street.  The  corner- 
stone was  laid  in  1844.  The  contract  for  the  new  building 
was  let  July  4th,  1844,  a  date  of  happy  augury,  memorializing 
that  spirit  of  ardent  patriotism  for  which  this  Church  has  al- 
ways been  characteristically  conspicuous,  and  marking  this 
building  as  a  school  of  loyalty  as  well  as  theology.  The  goodly 
edifice  which  we  now  occupy  was  entered  and  dedicated  on 
January  11,  1846.  The  title  of  Dr.  Phillips'  sermon  upon  that 
day  might  fitly  be  given  to  the  building  itself — "A  Memorial 
of  the  Goodness  of  God."  The  architecture  of  the  Church  is 
not  only  worshipful  in  its  suggestions,  but  possesses  an  elo- 
quent significance.  The  tower  is  a  copy  of  the  Magdalen 
Tower  at  Oxford,  while  the  body  of  the  building  is  a  replica  of 
the  Church  of  St.  Saviour  at  Bath.  The  "Old  First"  Church, 
is  a  Gospel  in  stone,  uplifting  a  signal  to  the  sinful  which 
teckons  them  to  a  holy  Saviour  who  is  waiting  to  redeem  them. 
The  Church  building  is  the  message  of  its  pulpit  made  visible. 
The  wisdom  which  selected  the  strategic  spot  for  the  abiding 
place  of  the  Old  First  Church,  and  the  sense  of  beauty  and 

57 


dignity  which  dictated  its  architectural  style  and  construction, 
have  been  emphatically  endorsed  by  the  witness  of  the  suc- 
ceeding years.  In  a  sermon  delivered  in  the  Cathedral  Church 
of  St.  John  the  Divine,  in  New  York  City,  upon  the  occasion 
of  the  consecration  of  the  Nave,  Sunday,  October  1,  1911,  the 
Rev.  Dr.  Grosvenor,  Dean  of  the  Cathedral,  uttered  the  fol- 
lowing significant  sentence : 

"Some  years  ago  I  asked  Bishop  Satterlee  a  question  which 
I  have  often  asked  myself,  concerning  site  and  architecture. 
If  we  were  obliged  to  destroy  every  church  in  the  city  of  New 
York  but  six  or  seven,  which  churches  would  we  save?  My 
list  would  be  this :  St.  Paul's  Chapel,  Trinity,  Grace,  The  First 
Presbyterian,  St.  Patrick's  and  St.  John  the  Divine,  and  I  am 
sure  we  will  include  the  new  church  being  built  for  St.  Thomas 
Parish.  I  believe  that  a  hundred  years  from  now  they  will 
still  be  standing."  * 


*  Miss  Helen  Marshall  Pratt,  who  speaks  with  authority  concerning 
the  spirit  and  achievement  of  Cathedral  Architecture  on  both  sides  of 
the  sea,  wrote  as  follows  in  "The  Churchman,"  November  20th,  1915 : 

"The  First  Presbyterian  Church  in  its  green  enclosure,  larger  than 
almost  any  of  our  city  churches,  with  its  fine  hedge,  its  exuberant  ivy 
extending  well  up  to  the  pinnacles ;  its  noble  beech  tree  and,  over  all, 
its  lovely  tower,  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  church  pictures  in  the 
city.  The  parish  house,  lately  added,  is  in  the  same  general  style  of 
architecture  and  groups  well  with  such  fine  old  houses  as  remain  in 
this  once  popular  residential  section,  and  with  the  Church  of  the 
Ascension,  one  block  below. 

"As  at  Trinity,  the  exterior  presents  more  interesting  features  for 
the  study  of  fifteenth  century  Gothic  than  the  interior.  The  building 
is  rectangular,  like  Trinity:  it  measures  119  feet  in  length,  and  85  in 
width;  its  roof  is  high  pitched;  the  windows  are  unusually  handsome, 
being  wide  and  lofty,  with  elaborately  traceried  heads  and  transoms : 
the  former  having  the  perpendicular  line  which  marks  its  date ;  and  a 
parapet  on  the  roof  of  open  stone-work.  The  beautiful  tower  at  the 
west  front  at  once  attracts  attention  by  its  graceful  yet  impressive  pro- 
portions, its  fine  traceried  windows,  especially  those  of  the  stage  below 
the  top,  its  battlemented  parapet,  ogee-arched  doorways  and  lofty 
pinnacles.  It  was  modelled  after  the  famous  Magdalen  Tower  at 
Oxford,  which  was  built  under  Cardinal  Wolsey's  direction  while  he 
was  bursar,  and  the  ivy  came  from  this  same  college,  a  gift  to  the 
wife  of  the  present  pastor.  Dr.  Howard  Duffield. 

58 


The  City  life  unfolded  not  alone  along  commercial  lines. 
The  community  throbbed  with  the  stir  of  a  new  intellectual 
energy.  Bryant  called  into  being  "The  Evening  Post."  The 
merchants  of  the  town  founding  a  reading  room  for  their 
clerks,  planted  the  seed  of  the  Mercantile  Library.  The  Uni- 
versity of  the  City  erected  its  stately  buildings  upon  the  East 
side  of  Washington  Square.  Union  Seminary  sprang  to  life 
on  University  Place.  All  these  harbingers  of  metropolitan 
renaissance  clustered  within  sight  of  the  tower  of  the  new 
Church,  and  were  within  the  sound  of  its  bell.  Amid  the  stir 
of  such  impulses  and  under  the  stimulus  of  such  forces,  Phil- 
lips wrought  his  noble  ministry  for  forty  years. 

William  Wirt  Phillips  was  a  man  whose  commanding  pres- 
ence fitly  indicated  his  large  spiritual  endowment.  He  ably 
maintained  the  preeminence  of  the  First  Church  at  the  fore- 
front of  American  Presbyterianism.  He  was  Moderator  of 
the  General  Assembly.  He  played  a  conspicuous  part  in  the 
organization  and  control  of  the  various  Boards  of  Home  Mis- 
sions, Foreign  Missions  and  Publication.  He  was  Trustee  and 
Director  of  the  Seminary  at  Princeton,  and  Trustee  of  its 
sister  institution,  the  University.  His  noble  pastorate  spanned 
two  generations.  For  years,  from  1826  to  1865,  he  ministered 
to  its  people,  and  imparted  to  its  life  the  imperishable  impress 
of  his  consecrated  character. 

"To  bulwark  this  fine  stone  building  there  are  deep  stone  buttresses 
standing  against  the  church  walls  and  against  the  angles  of  the  tower, 
in  three  stages  with  set-offs  and  crowned  by  pinnacles  a  thought  too 
tall,  perhaps,  but  richly  ornamented  with  crockets  and  finials. 

"Within,  the  eye  is  less  gratified.  Here  the  architect  met  his  diffi- 
cult problem  of  avoiding  great  supporting  columns  by  frankly  throwing 
a  wide,  awkward  vault  over  the  entire  width,  which  though  wide  and 
uninteresting  as  to  proportions  and  adaptability,  preserves  some  good 
Gothic  traditions,  for  here  is  a  ridge  rib  extending,  without  interfer- 
ence, from  east  to  west,  the  entire  length  of  the  church,  and  from  it 
hang  stone  pendants,  recalling  those  glorious  stone  pendant  lanterns  in 
the  fan  vaults  of  Henry  VH.'s  chapel  at  Westminster  and  in  the  Ox- 
ford cathedral  choir.  Notice  also,  in  the  interior,  the  two  ranges  of 
noble  windows  and  the  carved  wood  arcade  along  the  walls  under  the 
windows,  reminiscent  of  numerous  Gothic  arcades  in  mediaeval  cathe- 
drals." 

59 


Upon  the  mural  tablet  which  commemorates  his  ministry 
his  life  story  is  vividly  outlined  in  the  following  inscription: 

"In  walk  and  conversation  blameless ;  in  word  and  doctrine 
tenacious  of  the  truth ;  in  exortation  earnest  and  in  prayer 
fervent ;  in  holy  labors  abundant,  he  so  discharged  the  sacred 
office  of  Pastor  and  teacher,  that,  revered  in  life,  he  was  la- 
mented in  death  by  the  people  of  his  charge,  who  here  record 
their  admiration  of  the  simplicity  and  godly  sincerity  which 
adorned  his  character,  while  rendering  their  thanks  to  God 
for  the  long  career  of  eminent  usefulness  by  which  His  faithful 
servant  illustrated,  in  the  Church  and  before  the  world,  the 
power  of  divine  grace  and  the  beauty  of  holiness." 

Those  who  succeeded  to  the  pastoral  office  wore  with  grace 
the  mantle  of  their  predecessors,  and  like  them  trod  the  uplands 
of  life.  Philip  Melancthon  Whelpley  strikingly  reflected  the 
blended  grace  and  strength  which  were  such  conspicuous  traits 
of  the  great  Reformer  whose  name  he  bore.  His  sun  went 
down  at  mid-day.  A  ministry  of  shining  promise  was  cut 
short  by  death,  but  during  its  brief  years  he  made  an  influen- 
tial contribution  to  the  spiritual  life  of  the  community. 

William  Miller  Paxton,  dowered  with  rare  literary  gifts, 
with  great  executive  capacity,  with  disciplined  pulpit  power, 
came  to  the  First  Church  after  having  achieved  an  enviable  rep- 
utation for  scholarship  and  pulpit  power  in  Pittsburg,  Penn- 
sylvania. His  pastorate  lasted  for  eighteen  years.  At  the 
First  Pan-Presbyterian  Council,  held  in  Edinburgh,  he  was  a 
representative  of  American  Presbyterianism.  When  the  Coun- 
cil met  in  the  Academy  of  Music  at  Philadelphia,  as  its  Presi- 
dent he  opened  the  proceedings  with  an  oration  of  memorable 
power.  He  administered  with  ability  the  Presidency  of  the 
Board  of  Foreign  Missions.  He  occupied  the  Chair  of  Mod- 
erator, of  the  General  Assembly.  He  sat  at  the  Trustee  Board 
of  Princeton  University.  With  grace  and  force  he  wore  the 
dignity  of  the  Senior  Professorship  in  Princeton  Seminary. 

Richard  Davenport  Harlan  came  to  the  pulpit  from  the 
Seminary  class  room,  crowned  with  academic  honors.  To  the 
solution  of  the  serious  problems  which  had  arisen  in  connec- 

60 


tion  with  the  church  Hfe,  he  brought  a  talented  mind  and  a 
vigorous  personality.  During  his  brief  pastorate  the  Church 
was  enriched  with  its  superb  organ  and  the  plans  for  a  Chapel 
building  were  inaugurated.  He  has  left  a  gracious  memory 
in  the  hearts  of  those  to  whom  he  ministered,  and  those  who 
have  never  looked  upon  his  face  and  scarce  know  his  name,  yet 
feel  the  lasting  touch  of  his  influence  as  their  spirits  respond 
to  the  helping  and  haunting  voices  of  the  organ.  After  a  stay 
in  New  York  of  four  years,  Mr.  Harlan  accepted  a  call  to 
Rochester. 

Thus  we  come  to  the  Present  Day.  That  Day  is  twenty-five 
years  long.  Like  the  days  of  God  in  Genesis,  the  evening  came 
before  the  morning.  It  began  in  shadow  and  it  has  closed  in 
light.  A  quarter  of  a  century  ago  we  faced  empty  pews,  a 
depleted  exchequer,  an  organization  paralyzed,  a  congregation 
devitalized.  The  historic  glory  of  this  ancient  institution 
seemed  sinking  to  its  setting.  It  is  never  to  be  forgotten  that 
in  this  hour  of  its  helplessness  the  Old  First  Church  was  sus- 
tained in  being  and  tided  over  the  most  critical  period  of  its 
existence  by  the  unstinted  liberality  of  Miss  Rachel  Lenox 
Kennedy,  who,  almost  single  handed,  lifted  its  financial  bur- 
dens with  a  noble  generosity,  only  equalled  by  her  undaunted 
courage  and  her  unshaken  faith  in  the  Church's  future.  The 
clouds  that  threatened  dissolution  were  gathering  thick 
and  hanging  low  around  these  venerable  towers  and  bat- 
tlements. To-day,  we  behold  a  goodly  company  of 
loyal  and  enthusiastic  hearts,  of  skilful  and  unwearied 
hands,  a  Church  open  every  day  of  the  year,  alight  every 
night  of  the  year,  the  Chapel  too  small  to  house  its  activities, 
its  ministry  touching  every  want  of  the  myriad  sided  life  of 
the  surrounding  community,  and  so  rooted  and  rivetted  to  its 
historic  abiding  place  that  our  children  and  our  children's  chil- 
dren shall  continue  to  praise  God  and  do  His  work  on  this 
very  spot,  made  holy  by  the  prayers  and  the  sacrifices  of  so 
many  generations.  That  change  came  to  us  as  a  great  change 
came  to  Louis  Stevenson,  who  wrote  that  when  his  life  swung 
round  from  drifting  upon  the  rocks,  to  sailing  over  the  charted 
seas,  "I  came  about  like  a  well  handled  ship.     There  stood  at 

61 


the  wheel  that  unknown  steersman  whom  we  call  God."  That 
same  hand  was  upon  the  helm  of  this  Church.  That  same 
steersman  shaped  our  course.  But  our  Pilot  is  not  unknown. 
It  was  He  who  once  before  led  His  helpless  flock  on  a  miracle 
march  through  the  desert ;  refreshed  His  fainting  children  with 
water  from  the  rock ;  made  the  feeble  to  triumph  over  mighty 
foes ;  and  guided  them  across  death  shadowed  wastes  in  cloud 
by  day  and  fire  by  night,  until  He  brought  them,  radiant  and 
triumphant,  into  a  land  teeming  with  the  harvests  of  promise. 
The  benefits  which  now  so  enrich  and  ennoble  this  Church 
of  our  love  have  been  purchased  with  a  great  price.  God 
worked  out  His  plans  for  this  Church  through  the  surrendered 
lives  of  those  to  whom  the  Church's  welfare  was  dearer  than 
their  own.  Its  present  prosperity  represents  struggle  and 
heartache  and  tears;  a  quenchless  hope,  that  could  grope  its 
way  to  the  dawn  through  the  blackness  of  midnight.  That 
our  children  after  us  and  their  children  after  them  might 
worship  in  this  holy  house  where  through  the  long  years  our 
father's  honored  the  name  of  the  Most  High  God,  life  has 
been  poured  out  as  a  libation.  Those  who  have  been  heart  to 
heart  through  these  years  of  struggle,  know  that  words  are  too 
weak  to  tell  the  whole  of  that  story.  Those  who  have  not  felt 
the  intensity  of  that  strain  would  not  grasp  the  full  meaning 
of  the  story,  even  if  it  could  be  told.  The  pressure  of  this 
long  endeavor  has  been  baptized  with  the  sacrifice  and  devo- 
tion of  her  children.  Its  very  stones  are  unspeakably  dear 
to  me.  Its  every  member  is  cherished  in  my  inmost  heart. 
To  take  part  in  its  services  is  the  sweet  and  supreme  priv- 
ilege of  my  life.  To  promote  its  welfare  is  the  crown  of  my 
ambition. 

"For  her  my  tears  shall  fall 

For  her  my  prayers  ascend 
To  her  my  care  and  toil  be  given 
'Til  toils  and  cares  shall  end." 

For  twenty-five  years  no  Sabbath  has  found  the  door  of  this 
Church  closed,  nor  its  pulpit  silent.  The  Bible  School  has 
known  no  interregnum.  Every  Wednesday  night  longing 
hearts  and  wearied  spirits  have  come  together  seeking  escape 

62 


from  the  wear  and  tear  of  the  things  of  time,  and  yearning  for 
the  touch  and  vision  of  the  eternal.  The  purchase  of  the  Manse 
on  the  north  and  the  erection  of  the  Chapel  on  the  south,  like 
the  flukes  of  a  mighty  anchor,  gripped  the  ground  with  a  guar- 
antee that  the  hold  of  the  church  upon  its  historic  site  would 
never  be  relaxed.  Carl  was  discovered  and  captured,  and  be- 
gan that  noble  work  of  musical  development  which  has  so 
enriched  the  service  of  the  Church,  and  added  to  the  power 
of  its  ministry.  The  windows  of  stained  glass  one  by  one 
were  blazoned  upon  the  Church  walls.  The  floor  was  paved 
with  beautiful  and  enduring  marble.  The  chimes  of  West- 
minster pealed  out  from  the  tower,  symbolizing  the  proclama- 
tion of  the  ancient  truth  in  sweet  and  present  day  tones.  The 
glow  of  new  lights  flooded  the  Church,  betokening  the  passing 
of  the  shadows  and  the  advent  of  an  unclouded  dawn.  One 
thousand  three  hundred  and  twenty-four  persons  enrolled  for 
the  work  of  the  church  and  the  witness  for  the  truth.  Gen- 
erous friends  vitalized  the  enterprise  with  noble  gifts.  Per- 
manent financial  foundations  were  laid.  All  lent  a  hand  to 
the  work.  Through  weary,  hopeless  years  many  gave  gifts 
which,  numerically  small,  were  beyond  all  price.  That  list 
of  names  upon  the  subscription  books  stirs  deepest  emo- 
tion. The  full  history  of  that  effort  will  never  be  known 
until  "The  leaves  of  the  judgment  book  unfold."  All  the 
Societies  concentrated  upon  this  effort.  The  whole  member- 
ship bent  its  energy  to  this  end.  Persons  struggling  to  live, 
struggled  harder  that  they  might  give.  Some  sacrificed  daily 
comfort.  Some  cut  down  their  meals.  Some  scrimped  their 
dress.  Little  children  gave  pennies.  A  vast  total  of  littles  has 
gone  to  stay  the  Church  upon  its  foundations,  that  when 
the  books  of  God  are  opened  will  be  found  to  have  had  a  deci- 
sive potency  in  securing  the  triumphant  result.  That  money 
was  the  visible  token  of  forces  which  money  cannot  buy,  and 
without  which  money  is  paltry — faith  in  God,  trust  in  His  prom- 
ises, devotion  to  His  service  and  the  supreme  passion  of  self 
sacrifice.  Yesterday  bankruptcy  stared  the  Church  in  the  face. 
To-day  a  permanent  fund  has  been  accumulated  which  yields  an 
annual  income  of  more  than  twenty  thousand  dollars. 

63 


Upon  its  corporate  seal  the  Church  is  emblemed  as  the  ark, 
tossed  with  the  tempest,  but  grounded  upon  the  mountain  top, 
while  from  the  rifted  heavens  descends  the  dove  bearing  a 
branch  of  olive,  God's  blessed  messenger  of  light  and  peace. 
Those  who  fashioned  the  device  drew  a  picture  from  their  own 
experience.  Unwittingly  they  prefigured  that  great  and  nota- 
ble deliverance  of  the  Church,  which  came  but  yesterday.  In 
the  hour  when  night  was  darkest,  when  every  star  was  hid, 
when  the  radiant  face  of  hope  was  veiled,  when  the  fainting 
heart  of  faith  beat  low,  God  said,  "Let  there  be  light."  That 
honored  and  beloved  servant  of  His,  whose  name,  written  in 
your  hearts,  needs  no  mention  from  my  lips,  imbued  with  His 
spirit,  rejoicing  to  do  His  work,  listening  to  the  challenge  of 
the  dire  necessity  and  beckoned  by  a  vision  of  the  glorious 
possibility,  as  truly  an  angel  of  the  Most  High  God  as  though 
she  had  come  radiant  from  His  presence  chamber,  spoke  the 
word  and  wrought  the  deed,  which  saved  this  Church.  (For 
the  sake  of  those  who  read  this  record  in  the  after  time  it  is 
proper  to  state  that  this  reference  is  to  Mrs.  D.  Willis  James — 
who  sharing  the  feeling  and  executing  the  purpose  of  her  hon- 
ored husband,  by  her  rare  and  marvellous  liberality,  estab- 
lished the  Old  First  Church  upon  abiding  foundations.)  The 
shadows  fled  away.  Prayers  changed  to  praises.  Sighing 
gave  place  to  Alleluias.  Words  fail.  That  experience  baffles 
speech.  "Jehovah  Jireh !"  The  Lord  did  provide.  Life,  sur- 
charged with  spiritual  enthusiasm,  with  unsparing  unfailing 
devotion  to  Him  who  wrought  this  miracle  of  deliverance,  can 
alone  expresses  what  all  hearts  experienced  in  that  hour  of 
wonder. 

Within  sight  of  the  Old  First  Doorstep  upon  the  Washing- 
ton Arch  is  carved  this  inscription :  "Let  us  raise  a  standard  to 
which  the  wise  and  honest  can  repair ;  the  event  is  in  the  hands 
of  God."  Long  ago  the  Old  First  set  up  the  standard  of  "The 
Open  Door  and  the  Open  Heart"  to  mark  a  spot  to  which  all 
kinds  and  conditions  of  people  could  repair,  to  get  good  and 
to  do  good.  More  than  fifteen  hundred  persons  now  come  to 
her  services  weekly,  in  addition  to  the  many  who  seek  her 
shelter  daily  for  rest  and  prayer.     The  sole  reason  for  persist- 

64 


ing  in  the  almost  hopeless  struggle  to  secure  endowment  for  the 
Old  First  Church  was  the  desire  to  have  it  neighbor  to  the  need- 
iest. Now  it  is  anchored  in  just  such  a  place.  It  abides  among 
the  people.  It  sympathizes  with  the  people.  It  works  for  the 
people.  Its  buildings,  its  music,  its  schools,  its  clubs,  its  mes- 
sage of  hope,  its  ministry  of  help,  all  it  has — is  free  to  all.  It 
extends  the  Glad  Hand  to  all.  It  is  trying  to  create  the  Glad 
Heart  in  all.  It  holds  a  strategic  point.  It  stands  upon  one 
of  the  greatest  arteries  of  the  intense  life  of  America's  chief 
metropolis.  It  occupies  a  vast  open  space,  and  cannot  be  blank- 
eted by  sky  scrapers.  The  infinite  variety  of  the  population 
which  throngs  about  its  walls  invites  every  variety  of  progres- 
sive, highly  developed  church  work.  As  a  vantage  ground 
for  bringing  the  old  Gospel  into  direct  and  practical  contact 
with  the  latest  problems  of  human  life,  it  is  almost  without  a 
rival.  The  splendid  possibilities  of  its  ministry  have  been  dem- 
onstrated by  the  development  in  these  later  days  of  efiflcient 
service  along  every  line  of  modern  church  enterprise.  It  is  in 
commission  every  day  of  every  week.  Summer  and  winter  its 
services  are  held  without  interruption.  Every  class  of  the  com- 
munity is  within  reach  of  its  ministrations.  Services  in  any 
spoken  language  could  secure  a  congregation  within  its  walls. 
A  potential  Pentecost  lies  within  its  environment.  Ministers 
from  all  over  the  land  might  be  brought  into  residence  here, 
who  would  find  it  a  unique  spot  from  which  to  utter  their  mes- 
sage, and  in  which  to  study  and  to  state  the  problems  of  our 
day  in  their  acutest  form.  The  neighborhood  is  dense  with 
souls  and  the  population  is  increasing.  The  Church  is  at  the 
heart  of  an  immense  boarding  house  district.  The  need  for 
work  and  the  opportunities  for  work  are  steadily  multi- 
plying. No  Church  ofifers  a  more  inspiring  opportunity  for 
service  to  the  Lord's  workers,  nor  a  more  fascinating  opportu- 
nity for  investment  to  the  Lord's  stewards,  than  the  Old  First 
Presbyterian  Church  in  the  City  of  New  York,  old  in  its  years, 
but  with  undying  youth  in  its  heart. 

With  two  centuries  looking  down  upon  her,  she  is  girding 
herself  for  her  present  day  mission  with  old  time  vigor.     The 
challenge  of  new  difficulties  is  to  her  an  invitation  to  fresh  tri- 
es 


umphs.  The  tides  of  business  may  beat  about  her,  but  they 
cannot  sway  her.  She  is  anchored  where  she  is  by  fidelity  to 
the  King's  business.  Populations  may  shift.  Her  ministry 
is  for  every  sort  of  population.  Her  doors  are  never  shut  and 
open-handed  Hospitality  dwells  within  her  walls.  There,  is 
ever  to  be  found  the  ministry  of  Help ;  and  there,  is  ever  to  be 
heard  the  message  of  Hope.  Thrilling  with  the  memories  of 
that  long  and  shining  pathway  over  which  her  Lord  has  led 
her,  she  is  ardently  pressing  out  along  the  new  lines  of  service 
upon  which  the  banners  of  His  providence  are  moving.  She 
covets  to  stand  in  her  lot  so  long  as  the  City  itself  shall  endure, 
to  tell  in  simple  phrase  that  "old  old  story,"  which  is  ever  new, 
and  with  a  wise  and  unwearied  effort  to  bring  to  increasing 
numbers  of  those  who  are  stained  and  wounded  by  the  fierce 
stress  of  metropolitan  life,  the  healing  benediction  of  Him  who 
"went  about  doing  good." 

—  Then  was  sung  the  Hymn :   "The  Church's  one  Foundation 
is  Jesus  Christ  her  Lord." 

The  Closing  Prayer  and  the  Benediction  were  pronounced 
By  the  Reverend  Doctor  Charles  Augustus  Stoddard 

"O  God,  the  Giver  of  all  good  gifts,  we  thank  Thee  for  this 
day  of  feasting.  Thou  hast  given  us  fat  things  full  of  mar- 
row and  wine  upon  the  lees  well  refined — a  rehearsal  of  bless- 
ings that  have  grown  up  out  of  the  sacrifice  and  service  of 
many  years,  and  a  consummation  in  this  present  time  of  pros- 
perity and  progress  and  joy.  For  all  these  mercies  we  are 
indebted  to  Thee,  the  Giver  of  all  good  things.  Continue  Thy 
blessings  upon  this  Church,  we  earnestly  pray  Thee,  this  ancient 
Church,  so  thoroughly  and  securely  founded,  so  faithfully  and 
steadfastly  built  up,  and  so  ready  to  stretch  out  its  useful 
hands  to  bless  the  City  where  it  is  established. 

"O  God  we  thank  Thee  for  that  steadfastness  in  the  faith 
which  has  here  been  manifested,  for  the  fulfilment  of  Thy 
promises  which  we  have  had  placed  before  us ;  and  now  grant 
us  we  beseech  Thee  continued  blessing,  and  give  strength  and 
faith  and  hope  and  purpose  to  Thy  servant,  and  to  those  who 
are  associated  with  him  here,  in  maintaining  the  truth  of  God 

66 


and  the  gospel  of  the  Blessed  Savior  of  mankind.  And  grant, 
O  Lord,  that  the  service  of  this  day  and  the  memorial  services 
that  shall  continue  through  the  week,  may  deepen  the  impres- 
sion that  has  been  made  by  this  Anniversary.  Grant  we  be- 
seech Thee  that  this  influence  may  go  out  through  all  the  Pres- 
byterian Church  to  induce  a  steadfastness  in  faith  and  sacrifice 
and  devotion  to  principle  and  to  God. 

"And  now  may  the  blessing  of  God  the  Father  and  God  the 
Son  and  God  the  Holy  Ghost  abide  upon  and  remain  with  us 
all  evermore.     Amen." 


& 


COMMEMORATION  DAY 

Sunday,  December  the  Third,  1917,  8  P.  M. 

The  Evening  Service 

The  special  purpose  of  the  Evening  Service  was  to  commem- 
orate the  long  line  of  faithful  and  illustrious  men  who  had 
served  in  the  pastorate  of  the  Old  First  Church. 

The  Clergy  who  were  to  participate  in  this  Service  met  in 
the  Pastor's  Room  at  fifteen  minutes  before  eight  o'clock.  In 
addition  to  the  Reverend  Doctor  Harlan,  who  was  to  preside, 
there  were  present  the  Reverend  Doctor  Marquis,  Moderator 
of  the  General  Assembly,  the  Reverend  Doctor  Roberts,  Stated 
Clerk  of  the  General  Assembly,  who  was  to  deliver  the  Com- 
memoration Address,  the  Reverend  Doctor  George  Alexander, 
of  the  University  Place  Church,  who  was  to  offer  the  Commem- 
oration Prayer,  and  the  Reverend  Doctor  Franklin  B.  Dwight, 
who  was  to  conduct  the  Devotional  Exercises.  At  the  Service 
Hour  they  entered  the  Church  in  procession  through  the  Chapel 
Door  and  passed  to  their  places  in  the  Pulpit. 

A  selection  from  Gounod's  Oratorio  of  "The  Redemption," 
"How  Lovely  are  the  Messengers,"  was  sung  by  the  Choir. 

The  Salutation  was  read  by  the  Pastor. 

The  Invocation  was  offered 
By  the  Reverend  Doctor  Franklin  B.  Dwight: 

"Almighty  and  Ever-gracious  God,  our  Merciful  Heavenly 
Father,  we  would  enter  into  Thy  gates  with  thanksgiving  and 
into  Thy  courts  with  praise.  We  would  be  thankful  unto 
Thee  and  bless  Thy  name  for  Thou  art  mindful  of  all,  and 
Thy  tender  mercies  are  over  all  Thy  works. 

"Accept  we  beseech  Thee,  our  sacrifice  of  praise  and  prayer 
and  thanksgiving.  Make  us  conscious  of  Thy  presence  in  Thy 
Church,  and  of  Thy  love  which  is  ever  around  about  Thy 

68 


people.     Strengthen  us  more  and  more  for  Thy  service  and 
help  us  to  do  Thy  will,  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Saviour. 

"Our  Father  which  art  in  heaven,  hallowed  be  Thy  name, 
Thy  kingdom  come ;  Thy  will  be  done  in  earth  as  it  is  in  heaven ; 
give  us  this  day  our  daily  bread;  and  forgive  us  our  tres- 
passes as  we  forgive  those  who  trespass  against  us ;  and  lead 
us  not  into  temptation,  but  deliver  us  from  evil ;  for  Thine  is 
the  kingdom,  and  the  power,  and  the  glory,  for  ever.     Amen." 

The  Eleventh  Chapter  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  was 
then  read  as  a  Scripture  Lesson 

By  the  Reverend  Doctor  Franklin  B.  Dwight. 

A  Word  of  Greeting  was  then  spoken 

By  the  Reverend  Doctor  Richard  Davenport  Harlan 

Minister  of  the  Old  First  Church  1886-1890 

Just  how  much  the  members  of  the  "Old  First"  Church  of 
1916,  and  the  distinguished  Pastor  who  has  just  rounded  out 
his  strenuous  and  effective  twenty-five  years  of  service  to  this 
parish,  are  to  be  congratulated,  as  compared  with  the  First 
Church  of  1886  (when  his  predecessor  was  ordained  and  be- 
gan his  pastorate  here),  is  perhaps  better  knov/n  to  him  who 
now  speaks  to  you  than  to  any  one  else  in  this  audience  to- 
night. 

The  great  work  which  your  Pastor  has  accomplished  during 
his  quarter-century  of  service,  and  the  present  stability  of  the 
"Old  First"  Church,  can  best  be  measured  by  a  few  facts  in 
regard  to  its  unstable  condition  and  uncertain  future  in  1886 — 
the  year  which  marked  the  end  of  a  regime  during  which  this 
Church  had  been  absolutely  dependent  upon  the  generosity  of 
a  few  devoted  families  to  whom  God  had  given  great  v'ealth, 
and  which  in  1886  were  represented  by  a  small  and  steadily 
diminishing  group  of  elderly  people  who  at  that  time  were  near 
their  journey's  end  and  who  were  to  leave  no  descendants  in 
the  parish  to  take  their  place,  after  the  older  generation  fell 
asleep. 

Dr.  Duffield's  predecessor — who  came  to  this  field  a  fledg- 
ling from  Princeton  Seminary — found  it  necessary,  two  or  three 
years  after  he  had  put  his  hand  to  the  plow,  to  examine  care- 

69 


fully  into  the  financial  condition  and  outlook  of  the  parish.  To 
his  dismay  he  learned  that  the  regular  pew  rentals  (amount- 
ing to  less  than  $4,000)  were  considerably  less  than  one-half 
of  the  expenses ;  and  that,  for  many  years  previous  to  1886, 
the  huge  annual  deficit  (amounting  to  $8,000  or  $9,000)  had 
been  privately  subscribed  each  year  by  six  or  seven  devoted 
people,  whom  God  had  blessed  with  an  abundance  of  this 
world's  goods. 

The  generosity  of  that  small  group  was  magnificent,  but 
such  a  method  of  church  support  was  most  undemocratic  and 
demoralizing.  During  the  transition  pastorate  of  five  years 
which  lay  between  the  old  regime  (which  closed  with  Dr.  Pax- 
ton's  pastorate)  and  Dr.  Duffield's  call  to  this  Church,  among 
the  things  accomplished  the  one  which  gave  Dr.  Duffield's 
predecessor  the  greatest  satisfaction  was  the  inauguration  of 
a  modern  and  democratic  method  of  church  support,  in  accord- 
ance with  which  all  the  members  of  the  congregation,  the 
people  of  moderate  means  and  even  the  poorest  members,  were 
appealed  to  for  the  annual  deficit.  The  principle  of  "propor- 
tionate giving"  became  firmly  established  in  the  congregation. 
Instead  of  six  or  seven  privileged  subscribers  to  the  deficit, 
over  100  people  of  all  grades  of  income  gave  what  was  needed 
each  year  beyond  the  pew  rents.  And  I  remember  that  dur- 
ing the  first  year  of  the  new  plan  about  $2,000  of  new  money, 
which  previously  had  gone  elsewhere,  was  received  by  the 
Trustees  for  the  support  of  the  local  church. 

You  and  your  pastor  are,  therefore,  to  be  congratulated 
upon  the  splendid  strides  made  in  this  one  respect,  during  his 
pastorate;  for  since  the  system  was  changed,  about  1890,  this 
old  church,  which  is  for  all,  has  been  supported  by  all,  each 
person  being  asked  to  give  regularly,  "according  as  God  has 
prospered  him,"  towards  the  maintenance  of  the  ordinances  of 
religion  for  themselves  and  their  families. 

In  regard  to  the  introduction  of  an  organ  in  this  old  Church 
I  have  been  given  much  greater  praise  than  I  deserved.  My 
only  part  in  that  radical  innovation  was  to  "take  off  the  brakes" 
and  let  others  move  in  the  matter,  as  soon  as  all  the  people 

70 


were  ready  for  an  organ.  Not  once  was  it  necessary  for  me  to 
make  any  appeal  for  its  introduction,  and  the  organ  was  never 
even  mentioned  from  this  pulpit  until  the  night  when  I  bade 
farewell  to  my  congregation. 

The  only  time  I  ever  said  anything  to  my  people  on  that 
subject  was  at  a  well-attended  mid-week  prayer  meeting,  which 
was  held  in  the  old  Lecture  Room,  the  week  after  the  Trustees 
had  voted  to  put  in  an  organ.  On  that  occasion,  I  told  those 
present  that  a  small  group  of  generous  people  of  means  were 
doubtless  ready  to  meet  the  whole  expense  of  an  organ,  but 
that  I  was  sure  that  the  rank  and  file  of  the  congregation  would 
not  be  willing  to  give  to  a  few  people  the  monopoly  of  such  a 
pleasure,  but  that  every  man,  woman  and  child  in  the  parish 
would  wish  to  contribute,  according  to  their  means,  towards  the 
purchase  of  an  instrument  that  was  to  lead  the  common  praise. 
With  a  unanimity  that  was  inspiring,  the  congregation  met 
their  Pastor's  challenge,  and  practically  every  one  in  the  con- 
gregation— young  and  old,  poor  and  rich — contributed  to  the 
organ  fund. 

Shortly  after  the  mid-week  meeting  of  our  little  church  fam- 
ily, I  happened  to  be  making  an  ordinary  pastoral  call  upon 
Mrs.  A.  B.  Belknap  (of  blessed  memory).  As  you  know,  she 
was  a  member  of  that  famous  old  Presbyterian  family  whose 
name  is  immortalized  in  the  Lenox  Foundation  of  the  Public 
Library  of  New  York  and  whose  princely  gifts  are  gratefully 
remembered  by  the  Mission  Boards  of  our  great  church,  and  by 
Princeton  Seminary  and  many  churches  and  educational  institu- 
tions in  this  and  othpr  lands. 

Mrs.  Belknap  herself  opened  the  question  of  the  new  organ 
by  saying: 

"Mr.  Harlan,  I  hope  that  we  are  going  to  put  in  a  fine 
instrument." 

With  a  smile  which  I  did  not  try  to  hide,  I  replied : 

"Then  I  take  it,  Mrs.  Belknap,  that  now  that  the  old 
Church  has  decided  to  put  on  the  trills  and  frills,  you 
would  like  the  best  that  can  be  had  ?" 
"That's  just  it,  Mr.  Harlan." 
"But,"  said  I,  "such  an  organ  will  cost  a  great  deal  of 

71 


money.  To  put  one  in  that  would  fit  that  beautiful  build- 
ing across  the  street  and  satisfy  you  will  cost  not  less 
than  $11,000  or  $12,000." 

She  said  that  it  did  not  matter  what  it  cost;  that  she  and 
her  sister,  Miss  Maitland,  would  give  one-fifth  of  all  that  was 
needed. 

One  more  fact  in  regard  to  the  organ  is  worth  mentioning. 

The  uninformed  strangers  who  happened  to  be  in  the  Church 
on  that  epochal  October  morning  in  1889,  when  the  rich  dia- 
pason tones  of  that  noble  instrument  rolled  along  this  vaulted 
ceiling  for  the  first  time,  might  have  supposed  that  the  organ 
had  been  there  for  several  decades ;  for  no  reference  whatever 
to  the  great  change  which  that  Sunday  marked  in  the  Church's 
life  and  methods  of  worship  was  made  from  this  pulpit  on  that 
occasion.  The  organ  came  "without  observation,"  dropping 
quietly  into  the  large  and  helpful  place  which,  under  Dr.  Carl's 
masterly  leadership,  it  has  ever  since  filled,  not  only  in  this 
parish,  but  in  the  development  of  Church  music  in  this  City. 

And  with  all  my  heart  I  must  also  congratulate  you  upon  the 
beautiful  manse  and  the  stately  Chapel  and  Parish  House 
which  flank  the  rear  of  the  Church  on  the  12th  and  11th  Street 
sides,  and  which  Dr.  Duffield  so  felicitously  described  this 
morning  as  the  two  flukes  of  the  anchor  which  helps  physically 
and  so  effectively  to  fix  this  churchly  edifice  to  its  historic  site. 

Throughout  my  own  pastorate  I  had  been  much  troubled  by 
the  anomalous  and  infelicitous  fact  that  we  had  two  Sunday 
Schools  that  were  almost  within  a  stone's  throw  of  each  other 
— the  Church  School  in  the  old  11th  Street  Chapel  and  a  Mis- 
sion School  in  the  middle  of  the  block,  in  12th  Street.  I  had 
tried  in  vain  to  get  possession  of  the  12th  Street  building  so 
that  in  time  we  might  sell  it  and  arrange  for  consolidating  the 
two  schools  in  a  new  Chapel  on  the  11th  Street  side. 

I  was,  therefore,  greatly  rejoiced  to  learn  shortly  after  Dr. 
Duffield's  coming  that  he  had  succeeded  where  I  had  failed, 
and  that,  thanks  to  the  generosity  of  Miss  Rachel  Kennedy  and 
the  late  Alexander  Maitland  (two  of  the  legatees  of  the  Lenox 
Estate),  the  Church  had  secured  possession  of  that  12th  Street 
building;  and  that  the  large  sum  for  which  it  was  then  sold, 

72 


when  added  to  the  "Chapel  Fund,"  which  it  had  been  my  priv- 
ilege to  start,  enabled  you,  in  1893,  to  erect  the  beautiful  and 
commodious  Gothic  Chapel  and  Parish  House  on  the  11th 
Street  side,  which  is  now  such  an  integral  part  of  the  whole 
edifice  that  it  seems  always  to  have  been  here. 

I  think  on  this  "Commemoration  Day"  the  time  has  come 
when  I  owe  it  to  the  memory  of  three  generous  Christian 
women,  who  have  long  ago  gone  to  their  reward,  to  reveal  the 
history  of  "Chapel  Fund,"  which  with  the  accrued  interest 
thereon  amounted  to  about  $30,000  by  the  time  it  came  to  be 
used  for  that  purpose. 

Ten  thousand  dollars  of  it  was  given  to  me  by  Miss  Henri- 
etta Lenox,  in  the  summer  of  1886,  within  a  week  of  the  time 
when  she  was  stricken  with  what  proved  to  be  a  fatal  illness. 
It  was  probably  among  the  very  last  cheques  which  she  signed. 

When  Mrs.  Henry  R.  Withrop  heard  of  Miss  Lenox's  gift, 
she  surprised  me  one  day  by  handing  me  a  checque  for  $5,000 
for  the  "Chapel  Fund."  I  had  not  asked  her  for  any  contri- 
bution ;  but,  as  was  her  frequent  habit,  she  gave  without  being 
asked.  More  than  any  person  I  have  ever  known  she  entered 
into  the  beatitude  conferred  by  St.  Paul  when  he  said  "God 
loveth  a  cheerful  giver,"  the  Greek  words  literally  mean  "a 
hilarious  giver."  When  you  applied  to  her  for  a  subscription 
to  any  good  cause,  you  never  had  to  overcome  any  unwilling- 
ness to  part  with  her  money.  In  her  mind  it  was  never  a 
question  as  to  whether  she  would  "give  up"  the  particular  sum 
she  was  being  asked  to  contribute ;  she  had  already  given  that 
money,  and  much  more,  to  God,  in  that  it  had  been  set  aside 
and  devoted  to  good  works,  generally.  All  that  was  left  for 
you  to  do  was  to  convince  her  judgment  that  your  cause  offered 
her  a  good  investment  for  a  portion  of  a  fund  that  had  already 
been  given,  in  her  own  mind,  to  God  and  her  fellow  men. 

The  remaining  $10,000  of  the  original  "Chapel  Fund"  was 
given  to  me  by  a  member  of  "The  Fifth  Avenue  Presbyterian 
Church,"  Mrs.  Robert  L.  Stuart,  to  whom  on  account  of  the 
kindly  interest  she  had  shown  in  the  youthful  pastor  of  the 
"Old  First"  Church  I  had  ventured  to  describe  my  problems 
and  difficulties.     But  as  she  was  wise  and  tactful  enough  to 

73 


fear  that  it  might  offend  the  pride  of  the  people  of  this  old 
church  if  they  ever  suspected  that  its  Pastor  had  appealed  to  a 
member  of  Dr.  John  Hall's  congregation  for  help,  she  exacted 
of  me  a  promise  that  I  would  not  tell  anyone  of  the  source  of 
that  large  addition  to  my  "Chapel  Fund."  In  view  of  the  more 
than  twenty-five  years  that  have  elapsed  since  that  most  wel- 
come gift,  I  have  felt  that  I  could  properly  absolve  myself  from 
that  promise  and  pay  this  public  tribute  to  the  memory  of  a 
generous  and  large-minded  woman. 

But  most  of  all  I  do  congratulate  you,  and  especially  your 
Pastor  upon  what  he  has  done  for  Presbyterianism  in  this  city, 
in  securing  the  splendid  endowment  (now  yielding  an  annual 
income  of  over  $20,000)  by  which  the  Mother  Church  of  the 
Presbytery  is  anchored  to  its  historic  site. 

I  rejoice  with  Dr.  Duffield  all  the  more,  because  I  remember 
so  well  the  haunting  anxiety  with  which  the  Trustees  and 
Elders  and  former  Minister  of  this  Church,  during  the  transi- 
tion period  of  which  I  have  spoken,  looked  forward  to  the  finan- 
cial problem  with  which  this  parish  was  certain  to  be  con- 
fronted as  soon  as  that  small  group  of  special  benefactors, 
already  referred  to,  had  passed  away. 

I  had  hoped  and  prayed  that  God  might  fire  some  generous 
heart  with  a  worthy  ambition  to  win  an  immortality  of  influ- 
ence through  this  ancient  Church  by  putting  it  upon  a  solid 
financial  foundation  and  thus  firmly  establishing  it  in  this 
downtown  region,  so  that  with  confidence  it  could  undertake 
large  things  for  this  neighborhood  and  inaugurate  every  pos- 
sible form  of  Christian  and  philanthropic  activity  and  thus,  in 
many  ways  and  at  many  points,  touch  and  uplift  and  sweeten 
the  life  of  this  part  of  New  York. 

Never  shall  I  forget  one  night,  about  the  year  1899,  when  I 
stood  in  front  of  the  old  Lenox  residence,  on  the  opposite 
corner,  with  the  late  Dr.  Samuel  Hamilton,  the  pastor  of  the 
Scotch  Church  which  was  then  in  14th  Street.  As  we  were 
admiring  this  beautiful  edifice — its  noble  Gothic  lines,  its 
stately  tower  and  the  wealth  of  green  round  about  it,  stretch- 
ing across  the  front  of  an  entire  block  on  the  most  imposing^ 
avenue  of  this  mighty  City — he  said  to  me: 

74 


"The  First  Church  ought  to  be  strongly  endowed,  so  that 
it  could  be  the  Presbyterian  Cathedral  of  New  York,  a  great 
Church  for  the  masses,  the  busy  center  of  Christian  work 
for  this  entire  quarter  of  the  metropolis." 

The  few  of  you  here  to-night  who  were  present  when  I  made 
my  farewell  address  from  this  pulpit,  nearly  twenty-six  years 
ago,  will  forgive  me  if  I  now  repeat  some  of  the  things  which 
I  said  on  that  occasion. 

Up  to  1890  the  Presbyterians  of  New  York  had  not  been 
wise  in  their  day  and  generation.  Most  of  the  churches  of  our 
faith  and  order  had  been  withdrawn  from  the  section  of  the 
city  below  14th  Street;  and  unless  endowments  were  secured, 
it  looked  more  than  probable  that  the  ever-increasing  demands 
for  business  sites  in  this  quarter  would  force  most  of  our  down- 
town congregations  unwisely  to  desert  this  neighborhood  and 
follow  the  tide  of  wealth  to  the  upper  end  of  the  island. 

During  my  pastorate  here,  the  small  group  of  special  bene- 
factors already  referred  to  were  opposed,  on  principle,  to  an 
Endowment  Fund  for  their  own  parish ;  they  feared  that  it 
would  pauperize  the  congregation  by  sapping  the  spirit  of  self- 
help.  I  did  what  I  could  to  show  that  such  an  objec- 
tion did  not  apply  to  a  down-town  parish  like  this.  The 
difficult  period  of  transition  immediately  preceding  your  call 
to  Dr.  Dufifield  became  darker  every  year,  because  of  the 
inroads  made  by  death  upon  that  small  group  of  special  bene- 
factors who  were  to  leave  no  descendants  or  substitutes  behind 
them.  Toward  the  close  of  my  pastorate  it  looked  for  a  while 
as  if  the  only  thing  which  the  office-bearers  of  this  Church 
could  do  would  be  to  sell  this  magnificent  property  for  the 
immense  sum  that  could  have  been  realized  from  it  and  then 
to  build  a  great  church  in  some  quarter  of  the  city  where  the 
problem  of  church  support  could  be  easy. 

Your  joy,  to-night,  over  the  possession  of  your  present  En- 
dowment Fund  only  serves,  by  way  of  contrast,  to  bring  back 
to  my  own  memory  the  anguish  of  mind  with  which  I  contem- 
plated the  mere  possibility  of  this  Church  being  forced  to  follow 
the  line  of  least  resistance  and  to  find  the  easy  solution  of  its 
financial  problems  by  transplanting  the  money  value  of  this 

75 


magnificent  property  to  a  more  prosperous  and  promising  quar- 
ter of  the  City. 

I  thought  of  the  irreparable  loss  of  tender  associations  in 
such  a  dismantling  of  this  unique  temple  of  worship.  I  thought 
of  the  dead  whose  precious  dust  still  sleeps  out  yonder,  be- 
neath the  greensward  and  under  the  protecting  shadows  of 
this  House  of  God.  I  thought  of  the  unutterable  pain  which 
such  a  sale  of  this  property  would  give  to  the  then  members 
of  this  parish,  who  with  rare  exception  lived  downtown  and 
from  whom  their  Church  would  be  taken,  if  this  property  were 
sold.  Although  such  a  plan  would  have  legally  perpetuated 
this  historic  corporation,  which  holds  important  fiduciary  rela- 
tions to  two  large  public  charities  (The  Sailors'  Snug  Harbor 
and  The  Leake  and  Watts  Orphan  House),  yet  to  transplant 
the  Church  to  an  uptown  site  would  have  left  you  with  the 
mere  shell  of  an  organization,  to  be  filled  up  afterwards  by 
strangers ;  it  would  have  been  the  "First  Church"  without  the 
"First  Church"  people. 

But  the  psychological  moment  had  not  come  when  it  was 
possible  to  persuade  any  of  that  small  group  of  special  bene- 
factors to  furnish  the  necessary  Endowment  Fund.  There- 
fore, when  on  the  night  of  October  3rd,  1890,  I  presented  my 
resignation  to  this  congregation,  I  earnestly  pled  with  them 
not  to  be  tempted  to  sell  this  property  and  move  uptown,  but 
to  follow  what  then  seemed  to  be  the  only  other  way  out. 
Accordingly  I  urged  them  as  soon  as  the  acceptance  of  my  res- 
ignation left  this  pulpit  vacant  to  invite  my  beloved  brother, 
George  Alexander,  who  after  thirty-three  years  is  still  the  Pas- 
tor of  the  University  Place  Church,  to  become  my  successor  in 
the  pastorate  of  the  "Old  First"  and  to  invite  his  congregation 
to  sell  their  University  Place  property  and  come  over  into  this 
Church  and  by  that  means  to  create  at  once  a  large  and  effec- 
tively organized  Church,  with  an  Endowment  Fund  of  at  least 
half  a  million,  which  would  have  resulted  from  the  sale  of  the 
University  Place  property  and  the  merging  of  their  funds  and 
financial  strength  with  the  still  undeveloped  financial  possi- 
bilities of  the  First  Church  congregation,  as  it  then  existed. 

With  all  my  heart  I  rejoice  with  Dr.  Duffield  that  it  has 
been  given  to  him  to  find  a  way  for  the  Old  First  to  work 

76 


out  its  own  salvation,  without  a  merger  of  these  two  down- 
town churches.  My  own  parting  advice  to  this  congregation 
was  another  instance  of  the  old  proverb,  "Man  proposes,  but 
God  disposes.'^  I  rejoice,  to-night,  in  the  thought  that — ^by 
reason  of  the  bitter  financial  necessities  of  this  parish,  which 
finally  became  evident  even  to  those  members  who  had  been 
prejudiced  against  the  principle  of  endowments — Dr.  Duffield 
was  enabled  to  reap  such  a  goodly  harvest,  and  especially  that 
his  statesmanlike  appeals  to  certain  broad-minded  and  generous 
men  and  women  of  means  outside  of  this  parish  have  been 
crowned  with  so  large  a  measure  of  success  that  to-day  it  seems 
certain  that  the  Mother  Church  of  the  Presbytery  will  remain 
where  it  now  is  as  long  as  the  City  endures,  and  be  for  Lower 
Fifth  Avenue  what  Old  Trinity  is  for  Lower  Broadway. 

With  you  and  Dr.  Duffield,  and  on  behalf  of  the  toiling 
masses  who  must  always  live  down-town,  I  hope  and  pray  that 
your  Endowment  Fund  may  soon  be  increased  to  at  least  a 
half-million  dollars.  It  ought  not  to  be  any  less,  if  you  and 
your  successors  are  to  accomplish  the  large  things  that  must  be 
done  for  the  King  in  this  part  of  the  great  metropolis.  I  have 
faith  enough  in  the  progressive  and  forward-looking  Presby- 
terians of  the  present  generation  to  feel  sure  that,  in  a  far 
higher  degree  than  was  true  of  their  predecessors  in  1890,  they 
realize  what  a  priceless  boon  a  Church  like  this  could  become 
to  this  neighborhood — provided  that  it  is  adequately  endowed. 

Thank  God  that  the  "Old  First"  is  at  last  anchored  to 
its  now  historic  site.  It  is  a  green  oasis  to  which  the  masses 
of  the  people  can  come  on  the  glad  Rest  Day,  and  at  all  times, 
and  for  a  while  forget  this  down-town  wilderness  of  brick  and 
stone  and  mortar — a  cool  and  shady  spot  in  the  fierce  heat  and 
sun  of  work-a-day  living.  A  Church  like  this  when  fully  organ- 
ized and  equipped  and  manned,  does  more  than  minister  might- 
ily, by  its  solemn  grandeur  and  its  worshipful  services  to  the 
religious  wants  and  needs  of  the  masses.  It  helps  to  lift  up 
and  idealize  and  beautify  many  lives  that  are  otherwise  flat  and 
uninteresting  and  materializing. 

Thanks  to  what  under  God  had  already  accomplished  dur- 
ing  Dr.    Duffield's   twenty-five    years   of   ministry   here,    you 

77 


have  begun  to  carry  out  the  poHcy  which  the  Church  of  Christ 
in  New  York  City  should  ever  keep  in  mind,  the  poHcy  of 
sending  the  best  regiments  into  the  very  thick  of  the  fight, 
the  poHcy  of  building  up  the  strongest,  the  most  beautiful,  the 
best  equipped,  most  completely  manned  churches  with  the 
finest  of  music  and  the  best  of  preaching  in  the  downtown 
quarter  of  the  great  metropolis,  the  quarter  where  for  many 
people  the  conditions  of  life  are  the  hardest  and  the  obstacles 
to  Christian  living  are  sometimes  the  greatest. 

The  Lord  bless  you  and  keep  you.  The  Lord  make  His  face 
to  shine  upon  you  and  be  gracious  unto  you.  The  Lord  lift  up 
the  light  of  His  countenance  upon  you  and  give  you  peace,  now 
and  evermore.     Amen. 

The  Commemoration  Address  was  then  delivered 

By  the  Reverend  Doctor  William  Henry  Roberts 

Stated  Clerk  of  the  General  Assembly 

of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  U.  S.  A. 

The  Ministers  of  the  First  Presbyterian   Church 
IN  THE  City  of  New  York 

First  Epistle  to  the  Corinthians  IV  :1 

"Let  a  man  so  account  of  us,  as  of  the  ministers  of  Christ, 
and  stewards  of  the  mysteries  of  God." 

It  is  easy  from  the  mere  human  standpoint,  to  praise  and 
exalt  the  Church  of  Christ,  whether  we  have  in  mind  the 
visible  Church  Universal,  or  a  particular  congregation  of 
Christian  believers.  Its  victories  over  evil  have  been  notable 
in  every  century  and  are  more  significant  and  far  reaching 
in  this  present  than  at  any  previous  epoch  of  the  world's 
history.  By  its  doctrines  it  has  taught  the  sinful  world  that 
man  was  in  origin  a  child  of  God,  that  the  human  soul  has 
inestimable  value,  that  the  goodness  of  God  has  all  men  as 
its  objects,  and  that  faith,  in  Christ  and  love  one  for  another, 
were  not  only  the  duties  of  all  men,  but  the  natural  results  of 
the  existence  of  the  Church.  Again,  in  other  than  religious 
lines  the  Church  has  been  one  of  the  greatest  powers  of 
the  world.     It  has  been  the  center  of  the  energies  which  have 

78 


produced  Christian  civilization.  Mighty  and  world-wide 
have  been  the  impulses  which  it  has  given  to  education,  to 
philanthropy,  to  art,  to  liberty  and  to  social  progress.  Here 
and  there  there  may  be  found  a  few  among  men  who  ignorant 
of  history,  depreciate  the  Church  of  Christ,  but  they  who  are 
possessed  of  sound  knowledge  will  always  bow  in  its  pres- 
ence, cherishing  within  the  heart  that  feeling  of  reverence 
which  prompted  the  first  of  English  lexicographers,  Samuel 
Johnson,  to  remove  his  hat  whenever  he  passed  a  church 
edifice. 

But  the  Church  is  not  only  in  general,  a  proper  object  of 
admiration  from  the  intellectual  standpoint,  it  has  further  a 
deep  hold  upon  the  human  heart.  Its  influence  touches  the 
life  of  man  at  all  its  stages.  It  blesses  the  little  child  at  the 
baptismal  font,  receives  it  to  communion  at  the  age  of  dis- 
cretion bestowes  a  benediction  upon  young  men  and  women 
at  the  marriage  altar,  and  teaches  all  classes  and  ages  their 
duties  and  responsibilities.  It  visits  them  in  their  sickness, 
uplifting  their  souls  by  sympathy  and  strengthening  them  with 
prayer.  It  brings  them  into  real  fellowship  with  their  breth- 
ren and  into  union  with  God  the  Father,  Son  and  Holy  Ghost. 
It  consols  them  with  divine  comfort  amid  the  afflictions  and 
bereavements  of  earth,  and  at  last  when  their  work  on  earth 
is  over,  speaks  above  their  dust  to  the  living,  the  inspiring 
words,  "sorrow  not  even  as  others,  which  have  no  hope,  for 
Jesus  died  and  rose  again,  even  so  they  which  sleep  in  Jesus, 
will  God  bring  with  him."  From  the  cradle  to  the  grave,  the 
Church  in  its  services,  and  through  its  pastors,  ministers  to 
the  highest  of  human  needs  and  lifts  upon  the  clouds  which 
gather  about  the  tomb,  the  clear  shining  of  that  hope  which 
is  in  Him  who  is  the  Sun  of  Righteousness.  Blessed  in- 
deed are  the  memories  and  the  influences  which  cluster  about 
every  organization  of  believers,  be  it  large  or  small,  whatever 
the  circumstances  or  the  speech  of  its  members,  and  in  what- 
ever portion  of  earth  they  are  found. 

What  is  true  of  the  Christian  Church  in  general,  is  true 
in  a  notable  sense  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  of  New 
York.     Located  in  the  metropolis  of  the  new  world,  it  has 

79 


been  for  two  centuries  related  in  a  unique  and  potent  manner 
to  the  progress  of  humanity,  of  civiHzation  and  of  the  King- 
dom of  Christ,  both  on  the  American  and  all  other  continents. 
As  we  shall  think  of  this  First  Church  and  of  its  ministers, 
we  do  well  to  recall  sentences  from  an  anniversary  sermon 
preached  in  1844  by  the  twelfth  pastor  the  Rev.  Dr.  William 
Wirt  Phillips.  "We  feel  called  upon  to  record  the  kindness 
and  faithfulness  of  our  God,  who  for  so  long  a  period,  and 
through  so  many  changes  and  trials  preserved  a  people  called 
by  his  name  distinguished  for  their  warm  and  sincere  at- 
tachment to  his  truth  and  devotedness  to  his  service,  to  whom 
he  sent  a  succession  of  pious,  able  and  faithful  ministers  who 
have  preached  the  same  Gospel  of  his  grace  and  administered 
the  same  sacraments  in  their  purity,  and  after  the  same  simple 
form  of  their  original  institution."  We  echo  these  words  of 
Dr.  Phillips  and  rejoice  that  as  the  history  proves  the  minis- 
ters of  this  church  have  been  worthy  of  the  names  "Ministers 
of  Christ  and  Stewards  of  the  mysteries  of  God." 

It  is  appropriate  to  begin  this  record  of  the  lives  of  the 
ministers  of  the  church  with  reference  to  the  fact  that  there 
were  from  a  very  early  day,  English  Puritan  Presbyterians 
in  and  about  what  is  now  New  York  City.  It  is  interesting 
here  to  observe  that  among  all  the  cities  of  the  United  States, 
the  chief  city  which  was  founded  by  Colonists  professing  the 
Reformed  faith  and  attached  to  the  Presbyterian  system  of 
government,  was  this  city  of  New  York.  The  church  of  the 
original  Calvinists  is  still  in  our  midst  powerful  and  influential, 
the  Reformed  Protestant  Dutch  Church,  The  Presbyterian 
element  of  the  population  of  the  city,  now  as  of  old,  friendly 
to  the  Reformed  Church,  is  representative  largely  of  the 
Churches  of  Scotland  and  England,  and  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  of  Ireland,  has  always  been  sympathetic  with  the 
church  of  the  original  settlers.  So  far  as  information  can  be 
secured,  the  first  Presbyterian  to  minister  in  this  city  was 
the  Rev.  Francis  Doughty,  who  officiated  from  1643  to  1648. 
The  Rev.  Richard  Denton,  pastor  of  the  Church  at  Jamaica, 
Long  Island,  from  1644  to  1658,  also  preached  at  times  in 
New   York   to   a   company  of   believers.     Both   these  minis- 

80 


ters  were  regularly  ordained  clergymen  of  the  church  of  Eng- 
land, who  held  as  Puritans  to  Presbyterian  views  of  faith 
and  order  and  it  is  to  be  remembered  that  from  1645  to  1660 
the  Church  of  England  was  Presbyterian  in  government. 
The  most  notable,  however,  of  the  earlier  Presbyterian  minis- 
ters who  visited  New  York  City  was  the  Rev.  Francis  Ma- 
kemie,  a  graduate  of  the  University  of  Glasgow,  ordained  in 
the  Presbyterian  Church  of  Ireland,  and  the  organizer  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church  in  the  United  States  of  America.  He 
was  several  times  in  the  city,  and  in  1707  for  preaching  to 
a  little  company  of  Presbyterians  in  a  private  house,  and 
administering  baptism  to  an  infant  was  arrested  by  the  Gov- 
ernor of  the  then  colony  of  New  York,  was  imprisoned  and 
fined  a  large  sum  of  money.  The  little  group  of  English 
speaking  Presbyterians  in  New  York  City  continued  their 
association  together,  however,  despite  all  obstacles  thrown  in 
their  way,  and  at  last  feeling  their  need  of  a  permanent  re- 
ligious society  were  organized  as  a  church  in  the  latter  part  of 
the  year  1716,  and  called  in  1717  the  Rev.  James  Anderson, 
as  their  pastor. 

Mr.  Anderson  was  born  in  Scotland,  November  17th,  1678, 
and  was  ordained  by  Irvine  Presbytery  in  1708  with  a  view 
to  his  settlement  in  Virginia.  He  did  not,  however,  remain 
in  the  Southern  colony  and  was  received  by  the  General 
Presbytery,  then  the  supreme  and  only  judicatory  of  the  Pres- 
byterian church,  September  20,  1709,  and  was  settled  at  New 
Castle,  Delaware.  In  1717  he  accepted  a  call  to  this  con- 
gregation which  at  the  time  worshipped  in  the  City  Hall. 
His  ministry  was  acceptable,  and  until  near  its  close  unevent- 
ful. A  division  occurred  in  the  congregation,  in  1725  and  the 
members  who  separated  called  as  their  minister  the  Rev. 
Jonathon  Edwards,  afterwards  President  of  Princeton  Col- 
lege, and  through  his  writing  the  acknowledged  leader  of 
American  theological  and  philosophical  thought.  The  separa- 
tion continued  for  about  a  year  and  Mr.  Anderson  resigned 
in  1726.  He  accepted  a  call  to  Donegal,  on  the  Susquehanna 
River,  and  he  also  served  the  congregation  at  Derry.  He 
evidently  was  a  man  of  influence  and  of  executive  ability,  for 

81 


in  1713  he  was  Clerk  of  the  General  Presbytery,  and  in  1729 
Moderator  of  the  General  Synod.  In  April,  1738,  the  General 
Synod  sent  him  as  a  deputation  to  wait  on  the  Virginia  Gov- 
ernment, and  solicit  its  favor  in  behalf  of  Presbyterianism 
in  that  Colony.  He  performed  his  mission  with  success. 
Mr.  Anderson  died  July  16,  1740. 

The  successor  of  the  Rev.  James  Anderson  was  the  Rev. 
Ebenezer  Pemberton,  recommended  by  certain  of  the  minis- 
ters of  Boston,  Mass.,  and  at  the  request  of  the  church  he  was 
ordained  in  Boston,  August  9th,  1727.  Mr.  Pemberton  was 
born  at  Boston,  in  1704  and  was  graduated  at  Harvard  Col- 
lege in  1721.  These  facts  suggest  the  great  change  since 
1727  in  the  religious  atmosphere  of  eastern  New  England  and 
emphasize  the  departure  from  Puritan  doctrine  in  that  region 
since  the  dates  of  the  adoption  of  the  Westminster  Con- 
fession. During  Mr.  Pemberton's  ministry  the  most  notable 
events  were  the  several  visits  of  the  great  evangehst  the  Rev. 
George  Whitefield.  The  Presbyterian  Church  edifice  was  the 
only  edifice  open  to  the  Revival  Preacher,  at  his  first  visit 
in  November,  1739.  In  October,  1740,  Whitefield  came  a 
second  time  and  a  good  authority  declares  that  "the  Holy 
Ghost  came  down  as  a  mighty  rushing  wind  upon  the  com- 
munity." Not  only  was  the  church  greatly  increased  in  num- 
bers but  the  pastor  himself  became  a  notable  preacher.  He 
preached  at  Yale  College  on  several  occasions  and  was  greatly 
inspired  by  Mr.  Whitefield's  third  visit  in  1747.  As  a  preacher 
Mr.  Pemberton  was  much  admired  and  his  audiences  were 
large.  He  did  not  confine  his  labors  to  his  own  congrega- 
tion but  was  one  of  the  ministers  interested  in  the  establish- 
ment of  what  is  now  Princeton  University.  Indeed  White- 
field  wrote  to  Mr.  Pemberton  from  London  in  1748  urging 
him  to  come  there  and  solicit  funds  for  Nassau  Hall,  the 
first  name  of  Princeton.  Mr.  Pemberton  was  also  Moderator 
of  the  General  Synod  in  1737  and  of  the  Synod  of  New  York 
in  1746.  In  1752  differences  disturbed  the  church  with  refer- 
ence to  the  use  of  Watts  Psalms  and  some  other  matters  and 
Mr.  Pemberton  receiving  in  1753  a  unanimous  call  to  the 
Brick  Church  of  Boston  accepted  the  same  with  the  consent 

82 


of  both  the  Synod  and  Presbytery,  and  was  installed  in  his 
new  charge  March  6,  1754.  He  continued  in  Boston  until 
1774  and  then  retired,  dying  September  9,  1779.  Mr.  Pem- 
berton  was  in  both  his  charges  a  faithful  pastor  and  in  his 
pulpit  utterances  loyal  to  the  faith  once  delivered  to  the  saints. 

In  October,  1750,  the  Rev.  Alexander  Gumming  was  or- 
dained and  installed  by  New  York  Presbytery  as  Collegiate 
pastor  with  Mr.  Pemberton.  He  was  born  at  Freehold,  N.  J., 
in  1726.  His  father,  Robert  Gumming,  was  Ruling  Elder 
his  maternal  uncle  was  the  Rev.  Samuel  Blair  and  he  studied 
under  his  pastor  the  Rev.  William  Tennant.  He  served  at 
first  as  a  Missionary  in  Augusta  County,  Virginia,  and  he  is 
said  to  have  been  the  first  Presbyterian  minister  to  preach 
within  the  bounds  of  Tennessee.  It  is  a  tribute  to  his  abili- 
ties that  prior  to  his  ordination  and  while  still  a  licentiate 
he  opened  the  Synod  of  New  York  in  1750  with  a  sermon. 
He  was  the  first  minister  to  occupy  the  office  of  collegiate 
pastor,  and  his  connection  with  the  congregation  ended  Octo- 
ber 25,  1753. 

For  nearly  eight  years  he  remained  without  a  charge  owing 
to  his  feeble  health.  In  1761,  however,  he  was  installed 
pastor  of  the  Old  South  Church  in  Boston  and  it  is  not  at 
all  remarkable  that  it  was  said  of  his  ministry  in  Boston  that 
being  characterized  by  strong  adherence  to  the  Presbyterian 
Standards,  there  were  many  in  that  city  who  did  not  relish 
his  sermons.  He  died  August  23,  1763,  and  the  testimony 
concerning  him  is  that  "he  was  full  of  prayer  a  lively  active 
soul  in  a  feeble  body." 

As  successor  both  to  Pemberton  and  Gumming  the  congre- 
gation chose  the  Rev.  David  Bostwick  who  was  born  in  New 
Milford,  Conn.,  in  1721.  A  student  at  Yale  College  he  left 
before  graduating  and  completed  his  studies  with  the  Rev. 
Aaron  Burr,  at  Newark,  N.  J.  Ordained  by  the  New  York 
Presbytery  as  pastor  at  Jamaica,  L.  I.,  in  October,  1745,  he 
remained  there  more  than  ten  years,  having  great  repute  as 
a  preacher  and  large  acceptance  with  his  brethren  and  the 
churches.  In  the  early  part  of  1756  Mr.  Bostwick  was  in- 
stalled as  pastor  of  this  Church  and  the  character  of  the  man 

83 


is  shown  by  the  fact  that  an  epidemic  of  smallpox  being 
prevalent  in  the  city  he  came  to  the  following  conclusion  (I 
use  his  own  words),  "I  had  rather  die  in  the  way  of  duty 
than  purchase  life  by  running  out  of  it."  He  remained  during 
the  epidemic  in  New  York  City  but  deemed  it  prudent  to 
send  his  family  to  Newark,  N.  J.  Mr.  Bostwick  it  is  said 
was  uncommonly  popular  as  a  preacher.  His  appearance  and 
deportment  were  attractive.  He  possessed  a  clear  under- 
standing, a  warm  heart,  a  quick  apprehension,  a  vivid  imagina- 
tion and  solid  judgment.  He  had  a  strong  voice  and  a  com- 
manding eloquence.  Dr.  Miller  says  of  him,  that  "his  elo- 
quence was  such  as  few  attain  and  with  the  purity  of  his 
life,  gave  him  a  strong  hold  on  public  esteem."  Mr.  Bost- 
wick was  one  of  the  overseers  of  the  College  of  New  Jersey 
from  1761  and  received  from  that  Institution  the  degree  of 
Master  of  Arts  in  1756.  He  also  published  several  sermons 
and  a  Work  on  "Infant  Baptism."  He  was  Moderator  of 
the  Synod  of  New  York  in  1757  and  died  much  lamented 
November  12,  1763,  in  the  43rd  year  of  his  age. 

The  Rev.  Joseph  Treat  who  was  a  colleague  pastor  with 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Bostwick  was  installed  as  such  in  October,  1762. 
A  graduate  of  the  College  of  New  Jersey  in  1757  he  acted 
as  tutor  for  two  years  after  his  graduation.  What  little  is 
known  of  him  in  his  pastoral  work  indicates  that  he  was 
faithful  in  duty  and  that  his  preaching  was  acceptable.  He 
was  Moderator  of  the  Synod  of  New  York  and  Philadelphia 
in  1782.  During  the  war  of  the  Revolution  the  congregation 
of  the  First  Church  was  scattered  by  the  English  occupation 
of  New  York  and  the  ministers  left  the  city.  Mr.  Treat  did 
not  return  after  the  war  but  supplied  the  churches  of  Lower 
Bethlehem  and  Greenwich,  in  Sussex  County,  N.  J.,  until 
his  death  in  1797. 

The  real  successor  to  Mr.  Bostwick  was  the  Rev.  John 
Rodgers,  D.D.,  born  in  Boston,  Mass.,  August  5,  1727.  His 
parents  removed  to  Philadelphia  in  1728  and  it  was  in  the  City 
of  Brotherly  Love  that  he  was  brought  up.  During  the  first 
visit  of  George  Whitefield  to  Philadelphia  in  1739  young 
Rodgers   was   a   constant   attendant   upon    the    services,    and 

84 


when  little  more  than  twelve  years  old,  became,  to  use  a  phrase 
then  current,  "hopefully  pious."  He  became  a  student  in 
1743  in  the  School  under  the  care  of  the  Rev.  Samuel  Blair 
at  Faggs  Manor,  Pa.  A  licentiate  of  the  Presbytery  of  New 
Castle,  he  was  installed  pastor  at  St.  Georges,  Delaware, 
March  16,  1749.  His  work  both  in  this  congregation  and  in 
the  whole  region  was  highly  successful.  He  became  Moder- 
ator of  the  Synod  of  New  York  and  Pennsylvania  in  1763,  and 
under  the  advice  of  the  Synod  accepted  a  call  to  New  York,  and 
was  duly  installed  September  4,  1765.  His  evangelistic  spirit 
became  immediately  evident  in  his  preaching  and  a  large  num- 
ber of  persons  were  added  to  the  church  within  a  short  time. 
Dr.  Rodgers  during  the  Revolutionary  War  was  an  ardent 
patriot.  He  became  Chaplain  of  General  Heath's  Brigade  in 
1776  and  the  records  show  that  General  Washington  more 
than  once  consulted  with  him.  Dr.  Rodgers  was  one  of  the 
Committee  of  the  Synod  of  New  York  and  Philadelphia  that 
prepared  the  pastoral  letter  of  1775  calling  all  the  ministers 
and  churches  of  the  Synod  to  be  "careful  to  maintain  the 
union  which  subsists  through  all  the  colonies  and  let  it  be 
seen  that  they  are  able  to  bring  out  the  whole  strength  of 
this  vast  country."  He  was  one  of  the  first  American  minis- 
ters to  receive  an  honorary  degree  from  the  other  side  of 
the  Atlantic,  the  University  of  Edinburgh  conferring  upon 
him  the  Doctorate  of  Divinity  in  1782.  Upon  his  return  to 
New  York  after  the  war  of  Independence  he  found  the  Wall 
Street  Church  converted  into  a  barracks  and  the  Brick  Church 
into  a  hospital,  both  edifices  being  left  in  a  ruined  state.  He 
was  invited,  however,  to  preach  in  St.  Paul's  and  St.  George's 
Episcopal  Churches  and  the  services  of  this  congregation 
were  held  for  a  time  in  those  edifices.  His  activities  in  things 
ecclesiastical  already  noted,  were  continued  after  the  achieval 
of  American  independence.  He  was  the  second  member  of 
the  Committee  (Dr.  Witherspoon  being  the  Chairman),  which 
framed  the  Constitution  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the 
U.  S.  A.  and  he  was  in  1789  the  first  elected  Moderator  of 
the  General  Assembly  established  by  the  adoption  of  that 
Constitution.     The  Associate  Pastors  with  him  were  Joseph 

85 


Treat,  James  Wilson,  John  McKnight,  and  Samuel  Miller. 
The  first  two  named  died  before  their  Senior,  and  the  others 
were  associated  with  him  to  the  close  of  his  ministry.  After 
1803  he  ceased  to  preach  more  than  once  on  the  Sabbath  and 
officiated  for  the  last  time  in  September,  1809.  On  May  7, 
1811,  he  entered  into  rest  in  his  84th  year.  In  his  youth  he 
had  served  in  a  Mission  on  the  frontiers  in  a  manner  to  se- 
cure commendation ;  and  he  lived  to  see  his  country  free  and 
prosperous  and  the  church  of  his  devotion  enlarged  beyond  his 
most  sanguine  expectations.  During  his  entire  ministry  he 
emphasized  the  importance  of  revivals  of  religion  and  we  can- 
not but  doubt  but  that  his  heart  was  gladdened  by  the  great 
awakening  during  the  early  years  of  the  Nineteenth  Century 
which  saw  added  before  1830  to  the  communicant  membership 
of  the  American  Presbyterian  Church  more  than  one  hundred 
thousand  persons  increasing  its  membership  four  fold,  and 
ushering  in  that  period  of  expansion  in  all  Christian  work 
which  has  followed  upon  the  cultivation  of  the  evangelistic 
and  missionary  spirit.  In  all  accounts  given  of  Dr.  Rodgers 
one  thing  that  is  emphasized  is  the  peculiar  and  uniform  dig- 
nity of  his  manners.  While  maintaining  a  spirit  of  kindly 
fellowship  with  all  men,  he  never,  it  is  said,  forgot  that  a 
Christian  minister  is  a  gentleman. 

Mr.  James  Wilson,  one  of  the  Colleagues  of  Dr.  Rodgers, 
was  born  in  Scotland,  came  to  the  United  States  as  a  minister, 
was  received  by  the  Presbytery  in  April,  1785,  and  installed  in 
August  of  the  same  year.  He  labored  diligently  and  ac- 
ceptably for  about  three  years,  but  resigned  in  1788  owing 
to  the  impairment  of  his  health.  He  became  in  January,  1788, 
pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  at  Charleston,  S.  C,  where 
he  spent  several  years  in  fruitful  pastoral  service.  Resigning 
that  charge  he  retired  from  active  work,  owing  to  ill  health 
and  died  in  Virginia  in  1799  in  the  forty-eighth  year  of  his  age. 

Dr.  John  McKnight,  the  seventh  pastor  of  the  Church,  was 
a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  was  born  near  Carlisle,  October  1, 
1754,  and  graduated  at  Princeton  College  in  1773.  He  minis- 
tered to  a  congregation  in  Virginia  from  1775  to  1783  and  was 
then  settled  over  lower  Marsh  Creek  Church  in  Adams  County, 

86 


Pennsylvania.  He  was  installed  as  colleague  with  Dr.  Rodgers, 
December  2,  1789.  In  1795  he  was  elected  Moderator  of  the 
General  Assembly.  During  twenty  years  he  rendered  faithful 
and  acceptable  service  in  the  congregation  combining  the  dig- 
nity of  a  clergyman  with  the  urbanity  of  a  gentleman.  He 
appears  to  have  been  a  worthy  exception  to  the  rule,  "That 
a  prophet  is  not  without  honor  save  in  his  own  country."  He 
resigned  in  April,  1809,  because  of  the  new  arrangements 
which  were  being  made  in  connection  with  the  management 
of  the  church.  It  is  proper  here  to  state  that  in  this  year 
the  Collegiate  System  so  long  in  existence  was  definitely 
abandoned.  Prior  to  this  year  three  congregations  in  separate 
church  edifices  had  been  under  the  control  of  one  church 
Session  and  one  Board  of  Trustees.  This  change  involved  a 
new  disposition  of  pastors  and  Dr.  McKnight  retired.  From 
this  time  forward  his  health  being  delicate  he  consented  to 
be  a  Stated  Supply  only,  declining  even  such  flattering  invita- 
tion as  that  to  the  Presidency  of  Dickinson  College.  He  died 
October  21,  1823,  in  the  seventieth  year  of  his  age. 

Another  colleague  of  Dr.  Rodgers  was  the  Rev.  Samuel 
Miller,  D.D.,  son  of  the  Rev.  John  Miller,  D.D.,  pastor  near 
Dover,  Delaware,  born  at  the  manse  October  31,  1769.  Gradu- 
ated at  the  University  of  Pennsylvania  in  1789  he  was  licensed 
hy  the  Presbytery  of  Lewes  and  was  installed  as  Colleague  pas- 
tor with  Dr.  Rodgers  and  Dr.  McKnight,  June  5,  1792.  In 
1806  he  was  chosen  Moderator  of  the  General  Assembly. 
Deeply  interested  in  theological  education  he  was  one  of  the 
ministers  active  in  the  establishment  of  Princeton  Theological 
Seminary,  and  was  chosen  in  1813  to  the  Chair  of  Ecclesiastical 
History  and  Church  Government  in  that  Institution.  In  this 
post  of  usefulness  and  honor  he  served  to  the  full  acceptance 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church  at  large  for  more  than  thirty-six 
years.  In  May,  1849,  feeling  the  infirmities  of  age,  he  tendered 
his  resignation,  and  in  accepting  it  the  Assembly  bore  testimony 
to  their  great  appreciation  of  his  services  and  their  high  re- 
spect for  his  character.  He  died  January  7,  1850.  Dr.  Miller 
was  distinguished  not  only  as  a  preacher  but  also  as  an 
author.     As  a  profession  he  gave  to  his  work  all  the  energies 

87 


of  mind  and  body.  Of  the  "Clerical  Manners"  which  he  rec- 
ommends in  his  valuable  work  on  that  subject,  he  was  himself 
an  admirable  example  and  it  can  be  truly  said  of  him  in  rela- 
tion to  the  institution,  of  which  he  was  one  of  the  chief  agents 
in  establishing,  that  "being  dead  he  yet  speaketh." 

The  briefest  pastorate  in  the  record  of  the  First  Church 
was  that  of  the  Rev.  Philip  Milledoler,  D.D.,  who  was  born 
at  Rhinebeck,  N.  Y.,  in  1775,  was  graduated  from  Columbia 
College  in  1793,  and  was  pastor  of  the  Nassau  Street  Re- 
formed Church  in  New  York  City  from  1795  to  1800.  In  the 
latter  year  he  was  installed  as  pastor  of  the  Third  Presbyterian 
Church  of  Philadelphia  and  continued  there  until  early  in 
1805.  He  was  Colleague  pastor  of  the  First  Church  in  1805 
for  less  than  a  year  and  then  became  pastor  of  the  Rector 
Street  Presbyterian  Church  from  1805  to  1813.  He  was 
Moderator  of  the  General  Assembly  in  1808  and  Stated  Clerk 
of  the  General  Assembly  from  1803  to  1806.  In  1813  he  re- 
turned to  the  Reformed  Church  and  became  one  of  the  pas- 
tors of  the  Collegiate  Reformed  Protestant  Dutch  Church  of 
New  York.  In  1825  the  General  Synod  of  that  Church 
elected  him  Professor  of  Theology  in  the  Theological  Semi- 
nary at  New  Brunswick,  N.  J.,  and  he  was  for  a  time  also 
President  of  Rutgers  College.  Dr.  Milledoler's  ministry  was 
highly  successful  and  his  pastorates  were  characterized  by  an 
almost  constant  revival  of  religion.  His  "preaching  was  full 
of  grace  and  often  rose  to  great  heights  of  eloquence."  Re- 
tiring from  active  service  in  1845  he  died  September  22,  1852, 
aged  77  years. 

The  Rev.  Philip  Melancthon  Whelpley  was  the  third  minis- 
ter of  Massachusetts  birth  to  be  pastor  of  this  Church.  Born 
at  Stockbridge  in  that  State  in  1794  he  was  licensed  to  preach 
in  October,  1814,  by  the  Presbytery  of  Jersey  having  studied 
under  the  direction  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  James  Richards  of  Newark. 
He  was  ordained  and  installed  pastor  on  April  25,  1815.  His 
career  though  brief,  was  highly  useful.  As  a  preacher  he  w-as 
brilliant.  "Characterized  by  grace  of  manner,  elegant  diction 
and  eloquence  of  thought"  he  was  most  efifective  in  the  pulpit 
until  the  much  to  be  regretted  close  of  his  career.  His  death 
occurred  July  17,  1824,  in  the  thirtieth  year  of  his  age. 


The  successor  of  Dr.  Whelpley  was  the  Rev.  William  Wirt 
Phillips,  D.D.,  who  was  born  in  Florida,  Montgomery  Co., 
N.  Y.,  September  23,  1796,  graduated  at  Union  College  in 
1813  and  was  a  student  first  in  the  Associate  Reformed 
Theological  Seminary  in  New  York  and  then  in  the  Theological 
Seminary  of  the  Reformed  Church  at  New  Brunswick.  He 
was  transferred  as  a  licentiate  to  the  Presbyterian  Church  in 
1817  and  in  April,  1818,  was  installed  pastor  of  the  Pearl 
Street  Presbyterian  Church  in  New  York.  Here  he  was  a 
most  acceptable  minister  for  eight  years  and  was  then  trans- 
ferred by  the  Presbytery  to  the  pulpit  of  the  First  Presby- 
terian Church,  at  the  time  worshipping  in  Wall  Street.  Dur- 
ing his  pastorate  the  new  church  edifice  was  built.  His 
religion,  it  is  said,  "moulded  his  whole  character,  and  dififused 
itself  over  his  whole  life."  Among  the  people  of  his  charge 
he  moved  about  as  a  good  angel.  In  the  pulpit  he  was  a 
model  of  simplicity  and  fervor,  and  brought  out  the  great 
truths  of  the  gospel  in  a  luminous  and  impressive  manner. 
His  good  influence  was  felt  throughout  the  whole  church. 
The  general  respect  early  cherished  for  him  is  found  in  the 
fact  that  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Divinity  was  conferred 
upon  him  by  Columbia  College  when  he  was  thirty  years  of 
age.  He  was  also  a  Trustee  of  the  College  of  New  Jersey 
and  a  member  of  the  Council  of  the  New  York  University, 
a  Trustee  and  a  Director  of  the  Theological  Seminary  at 
Princeton,  and  in  addition  he  was  the  President  of  the  Di- 
rectors. He  was  Moderator  of  the  General  Assembly  in 
1835  and  was  often  sent  to  that  Body  as  a  Commissioner. 
During  several  years  of  his  later  life  he  was  President  of  the 
Board  of  Foreign  Missions  and  occupied  in  addition,  other  posi- 
tions of  responsibility.  The  work  devolving  upon  him  was  fre- 
quently onerous,  but  he  gave  himself  thereto  with  earnestness 
and  in  the  exercise  of  his  ability  met  the  demands  of  every  situ- 
ation. It  is  said  of  him  that  few  of  his  contemporaries  had 
more  to  do  than  he  in  moulding  the  destinies  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church.  He  continued  actively  in  the  duties  of  the  pas- 
torate and  in  the  fulfilling  of  other  appointments,  until  within 
four  weeks  of  his  death,  which  occurred  March  20,  1865. 

89 


His  successor,  the  Rev.  William  Miller  Paxton,  D.D.,  LL.D., 
was  born  in  Adams  County,  Pa.,  and  was  the  grandson  on 
fhe  maternal  side  of  the  Rev.  William  Miller,  D.D.,  for  years 
pastor  of  the  Lower  Marsh  Creek  Church.  His  father  was  a 
leading  lawyer  of  the  Commonwealth;  and  the  son  after  his 
graduation  from  Pennsylvania  College,  Gettysburg,  in  1843 
chose  the  same  profession.  During  his  legal  studies  he,  how- 
ever, decided  that  it  was  his  duty  to  become  a  minister,  and 
therefore  entered  the  Theological  Seminary  at  Princeton, 
graduating  in  1848.  He  was  ordained  by  the  Presbyterian 
Church  at  Greencastle,  October  4,  1848,  and  there  he  re- 
mained two  years.  His  success  in  his  work  at  Greencastle 
led  to  his  being  called  to  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  at 
Pittsburgh  as  successor  of  the  famous  Rev.  Dr.  Francis 
Herron.  Installed  in  this  important  church  in  January,  1851, 
he  speedily  became  felt  both  in  the  City  of  Pittsburgh  and  the 
surrounding  region,  and  his  pulpit  labors  in  particular  were 
attended  by  the  divine  blessing.  Interested  in  the  affairs  of 
the  Church  at  large,  he  was  from  1860  to  1867  also  Professor 
of  Sacred  Rhetoric  in  the  Western  Theological  Seminary.  In 
1866  he  was  invited  to  the  pastorate  of  this  First  Church  of 
New  York,  which  he  accepted  and  where  his  work  was  equally 
successful  as  it  had  been  in  Pittsburgh.  His  interest  in  theo- 
logical education  led  him  in  New  York  City,  as  in  Pittsburgh, 
to  add  to  his  pastoral  labors  theological  instruction,  and  he 
filled  with  distinction  the  post  of  Lecturer  on  Sacred  Rhetoric 
in  the  Union  Theological  Seminary.  In  1883  he  was  elected 
successor  to  the  Rev.  Alexander  T.  McGill,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  in 
the  Chair  of  Ecclesiastical,  Homiletical  and  Pastoral  The- 
ology in  Princeton  Theological  Seminary.  Here  likewise  his 
eminent  qualifications  for  the  training  of  young  men  for  the 
ministry  had  ample  opportunity  for  their  appropriate  influ- 
ence. Dr.  Paxton  was  Moderator  of  the  General  Assembly  at 
Madison,  Wis.,  in  May,  1880,  and  in  September  of  the  same 
year  preached  the  opening  sermon  at  the  Second  General 
Council  of  the  World  Wide  Presbyterian  Alliance  which  met 
at  that  time  in  Philadelphia.  As  a  preacher  Dr.  Paxton  stood 
in  the  front  rank,  and  his  eloquence  and  power  were  uni- 

90 


versally  acknowledged.  He  was  also  among  the  foremost 
leaders  of  the  Church  in  her  progressive  advance  in  benevo- 
lence and  in  missions,  and  in  the  general  moral  and  spiritual 
uplift  which  beginning  in  the  19th  century  is  gathering  greater 
headway  than  ever  before  in  these  opening  years  of  the  20th 
century.  Active  in  connection  with  all  the  work  of  the  church, 
he  was  specially  interested  in  the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions, 
of  which  he  was  President  from  1880  to  1884  and  a  member 
until  his  death  at  Princeton,  N.  J.,  November  24th,  1904,  in 
the  eighty-second  year  of  his  age. 

We  now  come  to  the  two  ministers  of  the  Church  who 
are  still  on  earth  and  who  have  been  privileged  to  serve  this 
Church  as  successors  to  their  brethren  who  have  passed  on 
before,  and  who  have  received  the  crown  of  Righteousness. 
In  dealing  with  their  records,  the  speaker  will  confine  him- 
self to  simple  statements  of  fact. 

The  fourteenth  pastor  of  the  Church,  Rev.  Richard  Daven- 
port Harlan,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  was  born  in  Evansville,  Ind.,  No- 
vember 14,  1859,  and  of  a  family  notable  in  the  annals  of 
Kentucky.  He  graduated  from  Princeton  University  in  1881 
and  from  Princeton  Theological  Seminary  in  1885.  He  was 
ordained  to  the  ministry  April  1,  1886,  and  at  the  same  time 
was  installed  as  pastor  of  this  Church.  He  continued  in  the 
position  until  1890  and  then  resigned,  to  follow  theological 
studies  at  the  University  of  Berhn.  From  1894  to  1901  he 
was  pastor  of  the  Third  Presbyterian  Church,  Rochester,  N. 
Y.,  and  from  1901  to  1906  the  President  of  Lake  Forest 
University,  111.  More  recently  he  has  been  in  charge  of  the 
George  Washington  University  Movement,  Washington,  D.  C, 
for  the  purpose  of  carrying  out  the  spirit  of  Washington's 
last  Will  and  Testament,  in  the  development  of  a  University 
for  graduate  work  at  the  National  Capitol. 

The  present  pastor,  the  Rev.  Howard  Duffield,  D.D.,  was 
born  at  Princeton,  N.  J.,  April  9,  1854,  graduating  from 
Princeton  University  in  1873  and  from  Princeton  Seminary  in 
1877.  The  family  of  which  he  is  a  member  is  historic  in 
the  annals  of  the  country  and  of  the  church.  Ordained  in 
June,   1877,  he  was  until   1880  pastor  of  Leacock   Church, 

91 


Leainan  Place,  Pa.  He  was  also  Pastor  at  Beverly,  N.  J., 
from  1880  to  1884  and  of  the  Westminster  Presbyterian 
Church,  Detroit,  Michigan,  from  1884  to  1891.  He  became 
pastor  of  this  First  Church  in  1891  and  has  rendered  in  this 
pastorate,  services  which  have  been  most  important  in  main- 
taining the  past  record  of  the  church,  and  in  securing  its 
future  permanency.* 

The  record  we  have  considered  sets  forth  certain  things 
worthy  of  special  attention.  The  old  proverb  is  always  true: 
"In  To-day  walks  To-morrow."  Some  of  the  lessons  of  the 
record  are  the  following: 

1.  Loyalty  to  Church  standards  is  of  potential  value  in 
connection  with  all  church  enterprises.     The  ministers  of  this 

*For  the  sake  of  the  record,  it  is  desirable  to  insert  in  a  foot-note 
facts  concerning  Dr.  Duffield's  pastorate  which  the  Speaker  did  not 
feel  at  liberty  to  introduce  into  his  spoken  address. 

Dr.  Dufheld  is  ex-officio  a  Trustee  of  the  Sailor's  Snug  Harbor 
and  of  the  Leake  and  Watts  Orphan  House  and  a  Manager  of  the 
Presbyterian  Hospital.  He  served  as  Moderator  of  the  Synod  of 
New  York  and  was  four  times  chosen  as  Moderator  of  the  New 
York  Presbytery.  For  a  time  he  was  a  Member  of  the  Board  of 
Foreign  Missions,  a  Trustee  of  Lincoln  University,  and  a  Trustee 
of  the  New  York  City  Mission  and  Tract  Society.  From  the  out- 
set of  his  pastorate  he  has  been  a  Director  of  Princeton  Theolog- 
ical Seminary.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Century  Club,  the  Quill  Club 
and  Chi  Alpha.  He  is  Vice  President  of  the  Saint  Nicholas  Soci- 
ety, Lieutenant  Governor  of  the  Society  of  Colonial  Wars  in  the 
State  of  New  York,  and  Member  of  the  Board  of  Management 
of  the  Veteran  Corps  of  Artillery,  and  the  Military  Society  of  the 
War  of  1812.  He  is  a  Member  of  the  Sons  of  the  Revolution,  and 
an  Honorary  Member  of  the  Huguenot  Society  of  America  and  of  the 
Marine  Society  of  the  City  of  New  York. 

During  his  pastorate  the  Thurlow  Weed  Mansion  (12  West 
Twelfth  Street)  was  purchased  as  a  Manse  and  the  Chapel  in  Elev- 
enth Street  was  built.  The  Church  was  paved  with  marble.  Its 
ten  windows  were  filled  with  Memorial  glass.  Electric  lighting 
was  installed  as  a  Memorial  Gift.  The  Memorial  Chimes  were 
placed  in  the  Tower.  The  Chapel  Organ  was  purchased  and  the 
Church  Organ  was  enlarged  and  perfected. 

In  addition  to  collecting  an  Endowment  Fund  of  over  Four 
Hundred  Thousand  Dollars,  Dr.  Duffield  also  secured  a  Working 
Capital  Fund  of  Ten  Thousand  Dollars  per  annum,  covering  a 
period  of  ten  years. 

92 


Church  have  been  men  of  pronounced  Presbyterian  convic- 
tions, who  combined  in  a  remarkable  degree  denominational 
loyalty  with  that  catholicity  which  is  at  the  heart  of  the  Pres- 
byterian system.  While  holding  strongly  to  their  own  opin- 
ions as  to  doctrine,  government  and  worship,  from  James 
Anderson  down  to  the  present,  these  ministers  have  acknowl- 
edged the  rights  of  conscience  as  the  inalienable  possession 
of  all  men.  While  thorough  going  Presbyterians  they  have 
been  also  large  minded  Christians  and  this  has  been  of  in- 
estimable value  in  connection  with  the  influence  of  the  Church 
in  the  community,  and  in  the  moulding  of  American  character 
upon  positive  and  broad  and  generous  lines. 

2.  The  great  value  to  a  congregation,  of  which  it  is  a  part, 
of  the  Christian  denomination.  The  pastors  of  this  congre- 
gation have  been,  as  a  rule,  ministers  interested  not  only  in 
the  work  and  the  progress  of  the  congregation  to  which  they 
were  directly  related,  but  also  have  had  time  for  attention  to 
the  work  of  that  great  Fellowship  of  Churches,  known  now 
by  the  name  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  United  States 
of  America.  During  Colonial  Days,  Anderson  and  Pember- 
ton,  Bostwick  and  Rodgers  were  leaders  in  the  Councils  of 
the  Presbyterian  Church  and  when  the  need  arose,  patriots 
in  the  front  rank.  After  the  achieval  of  Independence  and 
the  establishment  of  the  Presbyterian  General  Assembly,  this 
leadership  was  recognized  not  only  in  the  Councils  of  the 
Churches,  but  further  in  the  work  of  its  Administrative 
Boards.  Princeton  College,  and  Princeton  Theological  Semi- 
nary were  also  the  special  objects  of  the  activities  of  succes- 
sive pastors.  Five  of  the  number  were  Moderators  of  the 
General  Assembly:  John  Rodgers,  1789;  John  McKnight, 
1795;  Samuel  Miller,  1806;  PhiHp  Milledoler,  1808;  William 
Wirt  Phillips,  1835 ;  William  M.  Paxton,  1880.  The  history 
shows  that  there  is  no  field  of  service  to  which  an  important 
congregation  can  more  appropriately  lend  its  influence  for  the 
upbuilding  of  the  Church  of  Christ  than  through  the  service 
of  its  pastors  in  the  work  of  the  Church  at  Large.  It  has 
both  a  direct  and  a  reflex  influence.  It  stimulates  other  con- 
gregations to  activity  in  national  and  world   wide  Christian 

93 


enterprises  and  it  brings  the  congregations  whose  pastors  are 
leaders  in  church  work,  to  a  higher  standard  of  influence  and 
a  greater  outreach  of  power.  Narrowness  gives  place  to 
breadth,  and  worldwide  Christian  activity  stimulates  congre- 
gational thoroughness  of  service  and  Christ-like  sympathy. 

3.  The  gracious  and  potent  influence  of  the  evangelistic 
spirit. 

It  is  notable  in  the  history  of  this  Church  that  the  first 
decided  growth  in  numbers  and  influence  was  the  result  of 
the  visits  of  the  great  evangelist  the  Rev.  George  Whitefield, 
and  it  is  also  notable  that  the  only  church  in  the  city  on  his 
first  visit  which  opened  the  doors  of  its  edifice  to  him  was  the 
First  Church.  God's  blessing  followed.  The  Church  was 
much  prospered  spiritually  and,  through  its  pastor  Ebenezer 
Pemberton,  ministered  of  the  blessing  it  had  received  to  other 
cities.  This  influence  of  Whitefield  was  continued  in  an  espe- 
cial manner  in  the  pastorate  of  the  Rev.  John  Rodgers,  D.D., 
one  of  the  converts  of  that  great  apostolic  preacher  of  the 
eighteenth  century.  The  Church  is  to  be  congratulated  that 
not  only  the  two  ministers  referred  to,  but  others  have  been 
earnest  in  their  efforts  through  the  pulpit  and  in  their  pastoral 
labors  in  behalf  of  the  conversion  of  sinners,  as  well  as  for  the 
edification  of  saints.  Evangelism  is  the  key  note  of  the  re- 
ligion of  Jesus  Christ,  the  divine  Saviour,  and  the  evangelistic 
spirit  should  be  a  decided  feature  of  every  ministerial  life. 
One  of  the  notable  things  about  the  history  of  evangelism  in 
the  United  States  of  America  has  been  the  fact  that  the  great 
evangelistic  leaders  frequently  have  been  ministers  holding  to 
Calvinistic  doctrine,  as  well  as  officially  connected  with  the 
Presbyterian  Church.  It  was  true  in  this  city  of  old,  and  his- 
tory is  often  repeating  itself,  that  men  holding  to  the  divine 
sovereignty  and  looking  to  the  Holy  Spirit  for  His  guidance 
and  blessing  will  add  through  their  labors  greatly  to  the  num- 
bers and  also  to  the  missionary  spirit,  not  only  of  the  Presby- 
terian but  of  other  Christian  Churches. 

4.  The  power  in  church  and  ministerial  life  that  is  se- 
cured by  the  exaltation  of  Jesus  Christ  consciously  to  the  first 
place,  in  thought,  speech  and  act.     He  is  the  head  of  His  body, 

94 


which  is  the  Church.  Out  of  the  recognition  of  this  head- 
ship flows  incalculable  benefit  alike  to  congregations  and  min- 
isters. Of  the  pastors  of  this  Church  it  can  be  truly  said  that 
there  was  in  all  their  ministry  the  sentiment  put  into  rhyme 
by  a  distinguished  theologian,  who  during  his  life  was  often 
in  this  pulpit.  It  was  a  favorite  saying  of  the  Rev.  Archibald 
A.  Hodge: 

"I  am  a  poor  sinner,  and  nothing  at  all 
And  Jesus  Christ  is  all  in  all." 

The  exaltation  of  Christ  to  His  rightful  place  in  the  Church, 
and  in  the  individual  heart,  and  in  the  life  of  the  Church,  is 
the  secret  of  power,  of  true  prosperity  and  of  permanence  in 
connection  with  all  spiritual  interests. 

May  Christ  reign  more  and  more  in  the  hearts  of  this  peo- 
ple. May  its  ministers  be  through  all  the  coming  years  true 
ministers  of  Christ  and  real  stewards  of  the  mysteries  of  God. 

Many  are  they,  whose  earnest  prayer  is  that  all  the  desires  of 
Dr.  Duffield  and  his  co-laborers  for  the  increasing  success 
of  this  congregation  may  be  answered  to  the  full,  and  this 
Church  continue  a  great  moral  and  spiritual  power  in  this 
world,  influencing  the  community  until  the  Christ  shall  come 
in  His  glory  a  second  time  unto  the  fullness  of  salvation. 

The  Commemoration  Prayer  was  then  offered 

By  the  Reverend  Doctor  George  Alexander 

Pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  on  University  Place 

Then  was  sung  the  Hymn : 
"Ten  Thousand  Times  Ten  Thousand." 

The  Closing  Prayer  and  Benediction  was  pronounced 

By  the  Reverend  Doctor  John  A.  Marquis 

Moderator  of  the  General  Assembly : 

"Almighty  God  our  Father  in  Heaven,  we  thank  Thee  for 
the  record  of  those  saints  that  have  gone  on  high.  We  praise 
Thee  for  the  influence  of  this  Church.  As  this  Church  has 
praised  Thy  name  in  the  centuries  gone  by,  we  come  to  Thee 
as  Thy  children  living  in  this  present  hour,  to  pray  for  Thy 
blessing  upon  us,  that  we  may  be  their  worthy  successors. 

95 


"Endue  us  with  the  same  spirit  of  trust  in  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.  Baptize  us  with  the  spirit  of  evangelism.  As  in 
their  time  they  were  men  of  power  through  Jesus  Christ,  grant 
O  our  Father,  that  in  our  day  and  generation  we  may  also 
be  men  of  power. 

"We  pray  that  Thy  richest  blessing  may  rest  upon  this 
Church,  upon  the  Pastor  of  this  Church  and  upon  the  people 
who  from  Sabbath  to  Sabbath  here  lift  voice  and  heart  in 
praise  and  prayer  to  Thee. 

"And  now  may  the  love  of  God,  Our  Father,  the  grace  of 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  our  Saviour,  and  the  fellowship  of 
the  Holy  Ghost,  our  Sanctifier,  be  and  abide  with  us  and  the 
people  of  God  everywhere.     Amen." 


96 


THE  ANNUAL  DINNER 

The  Presbyterian  Social  Union  of  New  York  City 

Monday,  December  the  Fourth,  at  8.30  P.  M. 

The  Presbyterian  Union  of  New  York  is  an  organization 
composed  of  members  from  all  the  Presbyterian  Churches  of 
the  City,  associated  for  promoting  social  intercourse,  to  give 
opportunity  for  personal  acquaintance  and  to  quicken  the  sense 
of  fellowship  throughout  the  communion.     In  addition  to  sev- 
eral meetings  during  each  season,  at  which  literary  and  musi- 
cal entertainment  is  provided,  it  is  the  custom  of  the  Union  to 
hold  an  Annual  Dinner,  to  which  the  Moderator  of  the  General 
Assembly  is  invited  and  at  which  eminent  speakers  discuss 
topics  of  outstanding  importance,  and  general  interest.     By 
a  happy  coincidence,  the  date   for  the  Dinner  of   1916   fell 
within    the    time    set    for    the    Bi-Centennial    Celebration   of 
the  establishment  of  Presbyterianism  in  the  City  of  New  York 
by  the  founding  of  the  Old  First  Church,  and  at  the  gracious 
suggestion  of  the  Moderator  of  the  Presbytery,  and  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  Union,  steps  were  taken  to  make  the  formal  recog- 
nition of  this  notalDle  event  a  prominent  feature  of  this  annual 
function.     The  fact  of  the  Celebration  having  been  in  due  form 
brought  to  the  attention  of  the  Union  by  the  Church  and  by  the 
Presbytery,  the  following  action  was  taken:    "The  Executive 
Committee   of   the   Presbyterian   Social   Union   has   accepted 
for  the  Union  the  invitation  of  the  Old  First  Church  on  Fifth 
Avenue  and  Eleventh  Street,  and  of  the  Presbytery  of  New 
York,  to  join  with  them  in  celebrating  at  this  time  the  Two 
Hundredth  Anniversary  of  Presbyterianism  in  New  York  City. 
The   Presbyterian  Union  takes  pride  in  commemorating  the 
splendid  and  honorable  traditions  of  the  Church."     With  note- 
worthy courtesy  the  Union  invited  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Duffield  to  be 
its  Guests  of  Honor  and  requested  the  Pastor  of  the  Old  First 
Church  to  be  one  of  the  After  Dinner  Speakers. 

The  gathering  of  Presbyterians  at  the  Hotel  Savoy  upon 
the  evening  of  December  6th  was  more  than  ordinarily  large 

97 


and  representative.  Groups  of  members  from  all  the  Churches 
of  the  Presbytery  and  the  leaders  of  Presbyterian  thought  and 
work  throughout  the  City  and  the  land  were  assembled.  The 
usual  dining  room  was  too  small  to  accommodate  the  guests 
and  tables  were  placed  in  the  adjoining  salon. 

Mr.  Edwin  J.  Gillies  presided  with  characteristic  grace  and 
force.  The  Reverend  Doctor  Mendenhall,  Moderator  of  the 
Presbytery,  said  grace.  The  Reverend  Doctor  Jowett,  Min- 
ister of  the  Fifth  Avenue  Church,  with  great  felicity  of  phrase, 
gave  an  impressive  analysis  of  the  "Religious  Life  in  England 
as  affected  by  the  War."  The  Reverend  Doctor  Marquis, 
Moderator  of  the  General  Assembly,  in  words  aglow  with  light 
and  power,  argued  for  the  intensifying  of  the  spiritual  life  of 
the  Presbyterian  Church  throughout  the  land.  The  Reverend 
Doctor  Duffield,  Minister  of  the  Old  First  Church,  whose  pas- 
torate rounded  out  a  quarter  of  a  century  at  the  same  time 
that  his  Church  reached  the  Bi-Centennial  mark  dealt  col- 
loquially with  the  theme  dictated  by  the  occasion.  "Twenty- 
five  Years — Behind  and  Ahead."  The  past  he  sketched  with 
informal  anecdote  and  personal  reminiscence.  The  future  he 
suggested  was  beckoning  the  Churches  to  reahze  not  only  a 
Social  Union  but  a  Spiritual  Union  of  heart  and  life,  from 
which  all  denominational  influences  should  be  eliminated  and 
which  should  illustrate  the  great  basic  principle  formulated  by 
Augustine,  "In  essentials,  unity ;  in  non-essentials,  liberty ;  in 
all  things,  charity." 


98 


ANNIVERSARY  DAY 

Wednesday,  December  the  Sixth,  Eight  p.  m. 

The  Festival  Service 

The  Festival  Service  was  devoted  to  a  presentation  of  the 
varied  lines  along  which  the  activity  of  the  Old  First  Church 
had  been  exerted.  The  Order  of  Exercises  was  planned  to 
bring  into  view  the  part  which  it  had  played  in  civic  life, 
philanthropic  interest,  educational  work,  and  church  develop- 
ment within  the  city,  and  missionary  enterprise  throughout  the 
world. 

Invitations  had  been  issued  in  large  numbers  to  the  leaders 
of  all  phases  of  ecclesiastical  and  civic  thought  and  activity, 
and  to  the  heads  of  the  National,  State,  and  Municipal  Gov- 
ernments. The  acceptances  were  general.  The  various  De- 
nominations and  the  Religious,  Patriotic  and  Historic  Societies 
of  the  City  appointed  delegations.  For  all  the  representatives 
of  secular  interests  seats  were  assigned  in  the  Church.  The 
Presbytery  and  the  Delegates  from  religious  organizations  as- 
sembled in  the  Chapel  at  seven-thirty  o'clock.  Wearing  vest- 
ments and  academic  robes,  they  entered  the  Church  in  proces- 
sion, at  eight  o'clock.  Led  by  the  Pastor,  they  marched  down 
the  South  Aisle,  across  the  end  of  the  Church  behind  the  screen, 
and  passed  up  the  Centre  Aisle  to  the  pews  reserved  for  them. 
The  Speakers  of  the  evening,  each  with  a  special  escort,  was 
conducted  to  his  place  in  the  Pulpit.  The  long  lines  of  the  pro- 
cession, defiling  through  the  densely  crowded  church,  the  bright 
and  various  colors  of  the  gowns  and  hoods,  the  brilliant  uni- 
forms of  the  Governor's  Staff,  together  with  the  swelling  tones 
of  the  Processional  Hymn,  ushered  in  the  Festival  Service  with 
singular  impressiveness.  An  Order  of  Service  specially  pre- 
pared for  this  function  had  been  distributed  to  every  one  pres- 
ent. It  contained  in  full  every  item  of  the  evening's  exercises 
so  that  each  person  was  enabled  easily  and  fully  to  take  part  in 
the  Celebration. 

99 


The  Salutation  was  read 

By  the  Reverend  Doctor  Howard  Duffield, 

Minister  of  the  Old  First  Church. 

The  Choir  sang  as  an  Anthem  the 
"Sanctus"  by  Gounod. 

The  Reverend  George  J.  Russell 

Moderator  of  the  Presbytery  of  Long  Island 

then  led  in  the  Reading  from  the  Psalter  of  Psalm  CXLV, 

and  offered  the  Prayer  of  General  Thanksgiving. 

Then  was  sung  the  Hymn : 
"O  where  are  Kings  and  empires  now. 

A  series  of  Anniversary  Addresses,  illustrating  and  empha- 
sizing the  varied  lines  of  influence  along  which  the  ministry  of 
the  Old  First  Church  had  been  exercised  during  the  double 
century  since  its  founding,  were  then  delivered. 

An  Address  entitled 

THE  OLD  FIRST  CHURCH  AND  HER  CHILDREN 

was  then  delivered  by 

The  Reverend  Doctor  William  Pierson  Merrill 
Minister  of  the  Brick  Presbyterian  Church 

The  little  band  of  Presbyterians,  which  dared  to  establish 
in  New  York  City  a  Church  of  their  own  faith  and  order  two 
hundred  years  ago,  has  grown  into  a  brotherhood  of  sixty 
churches,  with  thirty-five  thousand  members.  These  Churches 
send  back,  through  a  past,  rich  with  varied  experiences  of 
storm  and  sunshine,  of  growth  in  favorable  and  in  unfavor- 
able conditions,  their  greeting  of  reverence  and  love  to  the  Old 
First  Church,  the  Church  that  once  contained  them  all.  It  is 
a  staunch  Calvinistic  conviction  that  all  of  us  were  in  Adam 
when  he  sinned.  It  is  a  realization  no  less  sound  and  far 
more  pleasant,  that  we  were  all  in  the  Old  First  Church  when 
it  began  its  corporate  life. 

And  we  are  still  one.  The  family  has  not  grown  so  large 
that  we  forget  the  inter-relationship.  This  occasion  is  like 
the  homecoming  at  Thanksgiving  Day  or  Christmas.  The 
children  are  glad  that  they  have  homes  of  their  own ;  they 

100 


may  even  be  better  friends  for  living  in  not  too  close  an 
intimacy.  But  it  is  good  to  be  brought  together  at  times  in 
the  bonds  of  affection  for  the  mother  and  the  old  home. 

It  would  be  quite  inappropriate  to  attempt  any  historical 
review  of  the  growth  of  Presbyterians  in  New  York  City. 
The  time  would  fail  me  (as  it  failed  even  an  inspired  man 
on  one  occasion)  and  the  work  has  been  done  by  those  far 
better  qualified  to  deal  with  it.  It  is  well  to  be  content  with 
a  simple  greeting.  It  is  not  inappropriate  that  this  word  of 
greeting  should  come  from  a  representative  of  the  Brick 
Church,  for  that  child  stayed  long  in  the  home ;  for  forty  years 
fiving  one  corporate  life  with  the  Old  First  Church,  though 
in  a  separate  building,  not  so  much  "tied  to  its  mother's  apron 
strings"  as  "bound  in  one  bundle  of  life."  It  is  a  privilege  to 
bring  these  greetings,  however,  not  only  from  any  one  child, 
but  in  the  name  of  the  whole  family. 

The  growth  from  one  church  to  sixty  does  not  adequately 
express  the  progress  made  by  Presbyterianism  on  this  island 
during  the  past  two  hundred  years.  For  conditions  are  such  in 
this  abnormally  crowded  area,  that  churches  are  not  easily 
started  or  maintained.  The  present  situation  represents  a  sur- 
vival,— we  will  not  say  of  the  fittest,  but  of  the  most  fortunate. 
There  have  been  many  consolidations, — intermarriages  among 
the  descendants.  There  is  a  familiar  saying  that  that  man  is  a 
public  benefactor  who  can  make  two  blades  of  grass  grow 
where  one  grew  before.  But  in  the  conditions  that  obtain 
here,  we  may  well  count  that  man  a  benefactor  of  the  church, 
who  can  make  one  strong  ecclesiastical  organization  grow, 
where  two  weak  ones  grew  before.  In  the  chorus  of  greetings 
brought  to  the  Old  First  Church,  "Jerusalem,  the  mother  of 
us  all,"  there  are  to  be  caught  the  voices  of  churches  now  no 
longer  to  be  found  in  tangible  form,  churches  that  have  been 
willing  to  fall  into  the  ground  and  die,  for  the  sake  of  the 
wider  interests  of  Presbyterianism  and  of  the  Kingdom  of  God. 

We  may  well  permit  ourselves  on  this  occasion  to  dwell  a 
little  on  some  of  the  best  outstanding  characteristics  which 
have  marked  the  Presbyterians  of  the  City  of  New  York. 

First  of  all,  in  the  beginning  and  throughout,  the  Presby- 
terian Churches  of  this  city  have  been  characterized  by  a  firm 

101 


and  splendid  loyalty  to  their  own  great  branch  of  the  Christian 
Church.  Despite  misunderstanding  and  wrong  impressions 
which  may  have  obtained  among  outsiders  at  times,  I  know 
that  all  will  join  with  me  in  the  confident  assertion  that 
nowhere  in  America  is  there  a  Presbytery,  or  any  organization 
of  Presbyterian  men  and  women,  more  consistently  and 
eagerly  loyal  to  the  standards  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  to 
the  accepted  statements  of  its  belief,  and  to  the  historic  prin- 
ciples and  ideals  of  Presbyterianism.  Perhaps  we  may  be 
pardoned  if,  on  such  an  occasion,  we  allow  ourselves  some 
indulgence  in  self  gratification  that  we  have  been  loyal  when 
loyalty  was  severly  tested;  and  that  it  seems  clear  to  us 
that  more  than  once  we  have  been  most  faithful  to  historic 
Presbyterianism,  when  some  were  questioning  our  loyalty. 

But  the  Presbyterian  Churches  of  this  City  have  been 
heartily  loyal  not  only  to  the  standards  and  creeds  of  their 
denomination,  but  as  well  to  those  larger  interests,  the  work 
and  spirit  and  best  traditions  of  Presbyterianism.  How  the 
churches  in  this  city  have  contributed  and  are  contributing, 
their  best,  in  men  and  in  resources,  to  the  nation-wide,  and 
world-wide  work  of  the  great  denomination  of  which  they 
are  a  part !  The  Churches  of  this  Presbytery  have  been  fore- 
most in  studying  the  unity  and  the  progress  of  the  church. 

Nowhere  have  we  been  more  truly  loyal  to  the  spirit  of  our 
beloved  church  than  in  that  which  some  count  weakness, 
namely,  our  catholicity  in  giving  and  in  service.  Doubtless 
it  is  true  of  Presbyterians  in  general,  and  notoriously  true 
of  New  York  Presbyterians,  that  they  give  without  stint 
from  their  resources  of  wealth  and  personality  to  all  good 
work,  to  undenominational  and  inter-denominational  under- 
takings, as  freely  as  to  their  own  church  causes.  No  doubt 
it  is  a  tendency  carried  too  far  in  many  cases ;  no  doubt 
it  is  a  weakness  in  the  matter  of  denominational  efficiency  and 
success.  But  there  is  something  finely  Christian  in  it,  some- 
thing of  the  very  essence  of  the  Presbyterian  spirit.  For 
one  of  the  deep  and  fundamental  principles  of  our  church  is 
that  we  assert  that  we  are  not  the  church,  that  the  true  church 
of  God  is  very  wide  and  far-reaching,  that  all  truth  is  ours, 

102 


and  that  all  good  work  is  ours.  Catholicity  of  giving  and  of 
service  is  one  of  those  weaknesses,  through  which  the  power 
of  Christ  rests  the  more  upon  a  man,  or  a  fellowship  of  men; 
one  of  those  weaknesses  in  which  we  may  well  glory. 

We  recall  with  joy  and  gratitude  the  evidences  that  the 
stock  is  not  failing,  that  the  Presbyterianism  of  New  York 
to-day  is  vigorous  and  alert.  It  was  here  that  the  vital  task 
of  Church  extension  in  City  conditions  first  took  on  adequate 
dimensions,  and  the  leadership  has  been  maintained.  It  is  to 
this  Presbytery  that  those  look  for  guidance  who  the  country 
over,  are  awake  to  the  pressing  problems  of  immigration  and 
congestion.  By  no  means  the  least  hopeful  and  interesting 
among  the  children  of  the  Old  First  Church,  are  the  new 
churches  among  the  foreign  born  residents  of  our  City,  centres 
of  true  Americanism,  of  civic  worth,  of  Christian  character 
building.  What  is  there  anywhere  in  the  world,  that  comes 
nearer  to  a  fulfillment  of  the  inspired  vision  of  a  church  made 
up  of  all  peoples  and  kindreds  and  tongues  than  the  Interna- 
tional Presbyterian  Church  at  Labor  Temple?  It  points  with 
hope  to  a  time  when  this  City  shall  be  in  truth  the  City  of  God. 

So  we,  who  have  grown  out  of  that  first  little  band  of 
faithful  Presbyterians,  salute  the  Old  First  Church  to-night. 
We  rejoice  that  the  First  Church  is  still  here,  still  strong,  still 
facing  the  future  with  hope  and  courage  and  determination. 
We  give  thanks  for  the  real  unity  of  our  Presbytery,  that, 
large  as  the  family  has  grown  to  be,  it  is  still  one  family. 
We  hope  and  pray  and  believe  that  the  best  years  of  the  Pres- 
byterian Church  on  this  island  are  still  ahead  of  us ;  and  as 
we  look  forward,  our  wish  for  the  City  which  we  love  and 
serve  in  the  name  of  Christ,  and  for  the  Church  which  is  the 
loved  Mother  of  us  all,  is  found  in  the  closing  verses  of  the 
prophecies  of  Exekiel  and  Daniel : 

"And  the  name  of  the  city  in  that  day  shall  be,  the  Lord 
is  There."  "And  as  for  thee,  go  thy  way;  for  thou  shalt 
stand  in  thy  lot  at  the  end  of  the  days."  May  the  Old  First 
Church  be  found  standing  in  her  lot,  with  her  many  children 
around  her  in  one  strong  loyal  family,  when  this  City  shall  at 
last  have  become  the  City  of  our  God. 

103 


An  Address  Entitled 

THE  OLD  FIRST  CHURCH  AND  THE  WINNING  OF 

THE  WORLD 

was  then  delivered  by 

The  Reverend  Doctor  George  Alexander 

President  of  the  Presbyterian  Board  of  Foreign  Missions 

Mr.  Moderator,  Members  of  the  Presbytery  of  New  York, 
Minister  and  Members  of  the  Old  First  Presbyterian 
Church  and  Friends: 

There  is  no  more  shining  chapter  in  the  annals  of  the  First 
Presbyterian  Church  of  New  York  than  that  which  records 
its  part  in  the  winning  of  the  world  for  Christ.  It  is  no 
exaggeration  to  say  that  in  her  arms  the  enterprise  of  Foreign 
Missions,  as  prosecuted  by  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the 
United  States  of  America,  was  cradled. 

In  the  year  1837  that  Church  proclaimed  itself  a  missionary 
organization,  created  a  Board  charged  with  the  task  of  fulfill- 
ing its  missionary  responsibility  and  located  its  headquarters 
m  this  city.  The  year  1837  was  a  disastrous  year,  a  year  of 
commercial  panic  which  wrecked  fortunes  all  over  the  land  and 
especially  in  New  York.  It  was  also  a  year  of  ecclesiastical 
strife,  resulting  in  a  Presbyterian  schism  that  remained  for 
more  than  thirty  years  unhealed.  In  the  midst  of  a  tempest, 
the  missionary  craft  was  launched. 

Dr.  Samuel  Miller,  a  Professor  in  Princeton  Theological 
Seminary,  and  a  former  Minister  of  this  Church,  was  the 
first  President  of  the  Board,  which  consisted  of  one  hundred 
and  twenty  members  scattered  over  the  country.  The  Board 
in  action  was  its  Executive  Committee,  of  which  Dr.  William 
Wirt  Phillips,  then  Minister  of  this  Church,  was  Chairman 
from  the  beginning.  A  wise  and  courteous  leader  of  men, 
a  strong  and  commanding  figure,  he  stood  at  the  helm  until 
in  1865,  death  loosened  his  grasp. 

With  him  were  associated  other  honored  members  of  this 
Church,  notably  Mr.  James  Lenox,  founder  of  the  Lenox  Li- 
brary and  other  civic  institutions,  who,  after  an  interval  of 
only  two  years,  succeeded  Dr.  Phillips  in  the  Chairmanship  of 

104 


the  Committee,  and  at  the  reorganization  in  1870  became  first 
President  of  the  Board,  as  now  constituted.  Of  this  Com- 
mittee the  historian  says :  "Its  meetings  held  weekly,  with  the 
attendance  of  the  Chairman,  rarely  interrupted  during  a  quar- 
ter of  a  century,  constituted  a  pre-eminent  factor  in  the  ad- 
vance of  the  work  abroad  and  in  securing  for  it  the  confidence 
and  support  of  the  Churches." 

This  record  of  fidelity  is  all  the  more  remarkable  since  the 
First  Church  itself  was  in  1837  passing  through  a  season  of 
stress.  Only  two  years  before,  its  holy  and  beautiful  house 
had  been  reduced  to  ashes  in  the  great  fire,  which  necessitated 
the  strain  of  rebuilding  on  the  old  site  in  Wall  Street,  to  be 
followed  in  a  very  few  years  by  the  wrench  of  removal  to 
Twelfth  Street. 

Dr.  William  M.  Paxton  succeeded  Dr.  Phillips  in  Foreign 
Mission  service  as  well  as  in  the  pastorate  of  this  Church  and 
continued  to  be  a  member  of  the  Board  until  his  death.  For 
five  years,  from  1880  to  1885,  he  was  President  of  the  Board, 
so  that,  for  half  of  the  life  of  the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions, 
a  minister  or  a  member  of  the  First  Church  presided  over  its 
deliberations  and  powerfully  influenced  its  policies. 

It  is  a  matter  of  some  interest  to  me  personally  that  during 
fifty  years  of  the  life  of  that  Board  the  presiding  officer  has 
been  an  Alumnus  of  the  little  college  in  Schenectady  which 
it  is  my  privilege  to  call  Alma  Mater. 

During  the  first  forty  years  of  the  Board's  existence  this 
Church  was  the  largest  contributor  to  its  treasury.  I  take  the 
record  of  a  single  year  as  a  fair  sample: — "contributions  for 
Church  Support  $12,000,  for  Foreign  Missions  $36,000." 
Even  as  late  as  the  year  1870,  this  Church  contributed  more 
than  one-ninth  of  the  Board's  receipts  from  all  our  churches 
throughout  the  land. 

Thirty  years  ago  our  Boards  of  Home  and  Foreign  Mis- 
sions occupied  cramped  quarters  in  a  little  old  house  at  23 
Center  Street.  It  was  an  honored  member  of  this  Church, 
Mr.  Robert  Lenox  Kennedy,  who  by  a  personal  gift  of  $50,000 
and  by  his  family  influence,  affected  their  removal  to  the 
former  Lenox   Mansion  on  the   corner  of    12tk   Street  and 

105 


5th  Avenue.  If  some  of  us  had  been  as  wise  twenty  years 
ago,  as  we  think  we  are  to-day,  it  is  probable  that  the  head- 
quarters of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  America  would  have 
been  a  stately  edifice  in  place  of  the  towering  commercial 
building  on  yonder  corner,  and  Howard  Duffield,  instead  of 
George  Alexander,  as  President  of  the  Board  of  Foreign  Mis- 
sions would  be  talking  to  you  about  "The  Old  First  Church 
and  the  Winning  of  the  World." 

It  should  be  added  that  in  those  formative  years  when  forces 
resident  in  this  Church  were  the  controlling  forces  in  the 
Board  of  Foreign  Missions,  the  great  missionary  leaders,  who 
being  dead  are  yet  speaking,  were  chosen,  commissioned  and 
supported  in  their  heroic  service.  The  Lowries,  the  Morri- 
sons, the  Newtons,  the  saintly  George  Boehm  in  India,  Nevius 
in  China,  Hepburn  in  Japan,  and  Wilson  in  Africa, — men  of 
extraordinary  capacity  and  consecration,  who  exalted  the  task 
of  world  evangelization  and  made  it  glorious  in  the  eyes  of 
all  people. 

Little  did  the  faithful  men  of  that  generation  realize  how 
wisely  they  were  building  and  to  what  proportions  the  work 
of  their  hands  would  grow !  Could  they  have  foreseen  that 
in  this  year  of  grace,  their  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  would 
be  gathering  and  expending  two  and  one-half  millions  of 
dollars,  supporting  fourteen  hundred  foreign  missionaries  and 
six  thousand  native  helpers,  maintaining  schools,  colleges,  dis- 
pensaries and  hospitals,  establishing  mighty  centers  of  civili- 
zation, philanthropy,  and  Gospel  light  in  every  dark  continent, 
they  would  have  been  as  men  that  dream ;  "their  mouth  would 
have  been  filled  with  laughter  and  their  tongue  with  singing." 

If  the  Old  First  Church,  Dr.  Duffield,  should  die  to-morrow, 
it  would  have  its  memorial  in  many  a  far  land,  and  not  only 
have  a  memorial,  but  be  still  working  there.  May  she  not 
die,  but  live  through  the  ages,  borrowing  fresh  courage  and 
strength  and  stimulus  from  the  traditions  of  her  great  past !  - 


106 


An  Address  entitled 

THE  OLD  FIRST  CHURCH  AND  EDUCATION 

was  then  delivered  by 

The  Reverend  Doctor  John  Grier  Hibben, 

President  of  Princeton  University  *• 

Mr.  Moderator,  Dr.  Duffield,  Visiting  Delegates,  His  Ex- 
cellency, the  Governor  and  Members  of  the  Congregation  of 
the  First  Presbyterian  Church: 

I  regard  it  a  great  privilege  to  bring  to  your  church  this 
evening  the  very  hearty  felicitations  of  Princeton  University. 
The  name  of  Princeton  University  would  be  unknown  to  the 
founders  of  this  church.  They  knew  Princeton  only  under 
the  name  of  the  College  of  New  Jersey.  One  of  the  pastors 
of  this  church,  Ebenezer  Pemberton,  belonged  to  the  little 
group  of  men  who  founded  at  Princeton  the  College  of  New 
Jersey,  and  continued  throughout  his  life  a  most  influential 
and  devoted  Trustee  of  the  College. 

The  test,  perhaps,  of  any  institution  is  to  be  found  in  its 
first  years,  and  through  this  stormy  period  we  had  the  con- 
stant sympathy,  encouragement  and  support  of  Ebenezer  Pem- 
berton. And  then  the  second  period  of  storm  and  stress  for 
the  young  College  occurred  in  the  days  of  the  Revolution,  and 
at  that  time  Dr.  Witherspoon  was  the  President  of  the  col- 
lege, and  a  very  intimate  friend  of  John  Rogers,  the  Pastor 
of  this  Church. 

John  Rogers  was  also  a  Trustee  of  the  University.  And 
from  the  beginnings  of  Princeton  to  the  present  day  we  have 
looked  to  the  First  Church  for  counsel  and  for  substantial 
support.  In  our  endeavor  to  repay  this  debt,  we  have  been 
training  young  boys  who  have  come  to  us,  and  in  after  years 
they  have  appeared  in  this  pulpit  as  your  pastors,  with  the 
stamp  of  the  Princeton  training  upon  their  character  and 
upon  their  preaching. 

Presbyterianism  has  as  one  of  its  by-products — or  perhaps 
I  should  correct  myself  and  say  one  of  its  natural  products — 
the  founding  of  academies  and  colleges  and  universities. 
Our  forefathers  two  hundred  years  ago  at  the  founding  of  this 

107 


Church,  and  again  one  hundred  and  seventy  years  ago,  at  the 
beginnings  of  Princeton,  had  only  three  ideals  which  they 
hoped  to  realize;  and  to  those  ideals,  which  blended  into  one, 
they  concentrated  all  their  efforts,  all  their  endeavor, — the 
Church,  the  School  and  the  State.  The  men  who  founded  the 
churches  of  this  country  were  the  men  who  founded  our 
academies  and  colleges,  and  the  men  who  founded  our  acade- 
mies and  colleges  were  among  the  foremost  in  the  time  of 
our  country's  greatest  danger.  For  two  hundred  years  you 
have  been  maintaining  through  all  the  history  of  this  City 
a  position  in  which  you  have  done  constructive  work,  minis- 
tering to  the  best  citizenship  of  this  community.  You  have 
stood  in  the  very  front  line  of  battle.  You  have  maintained 
your  position  here  in  the  first  line  of  trenches  and  you  have 
not  withdrawn  when  the  powers  of  darkness  closed  about  you ; 
but  here,  at  the  point  where  you  have  been  most  needed,  you 
have  been  and  are  doing,  and  I  trust  with  the  favor  of  God 
you  will  continue  to  do  this  great  work  of  enlightening  the 
darkness  that  surrounds  you.  , 

I  think  that  we  all  feel  in  coming  together  on  a  festival 
occasion  such  as  this,  how  deeply  the  shadows  are  cast  about 
our  national  life  at  this  present  time,  and  through  what  a 
grave  crisis  we  as  the  people  are  now  passing.  This  may 
escape  the  man  on  the  street,  but  the  serious,  the  reflective 
person  bears  the  burden  of  great  anxiety  and  apprehension 
of  what  may  come  to  us  as  a  people  in  the  near  future. 

On  Thanksgiving  Day  last  I  happened  to  take  up  a  book  of 
addresses  of  Abraham  Lincoln  and  turned,  by  suggestion  of 
the  day,  to  his  Thanksgiving  Proclamation  in  1864.  There 
was  just  one  idea  in  that  Proclamation  which  he  elaborated, 
and  just  one  thing  for  which  he  thanked  God  in  the  name  of 
the  American  people,  and  that  was,  that  they  had  been  in- 
spired and  animated  by  God  to  show  themselves  courageous 
and  resolute  in  the  face  of  a  great  national  crisis.  No  men- 
tion of  the  material  wealth  or  abundant  prosperity  of  the  land"; 
he  mentioned  only  the  moral  and  spiritual  vigor  of  the  peo- 
ple. Some  one  will  say  it  was  natural  to  emphasize  the 
moral  and  spiritual  vigor  of  the  people  and  thank  God  for 

108 


it  when  the  country  was  in  such  great  danger.  But  I  believe 
most  profoundly  that  we  as  a  people  are  tried  not  only  by 
the  perils  of  adversity  but  the  more  difficult,  the  more  subtle 
perils  of  prosperity,  and  that  at  this  present  day  we  are 
passing  through  this  period  of  trial.  Can  we  as  a  people 
stand  the  material  prosperity  of  the  present  day?  Whether 
we  know  it  or  not,  we  are  being  at  the  present  time  weighed 
in  the  balance. 

I  do  not  know  whether  you  noticed  a  few  weeks  ago  the 
account  of  the  death  of  a  young  man,  a  Lieutenant  Butters 
of  the  British  Army,  who  went  out  from  the  State  of  Cali- 
fornia to  volunteer  his  services  in  this  great  world  struggle. 
He  died  in  the  Somme  attack.  But  just  before  that  attack 
he  wrote  a  letter  home  and  that  letter  was  published  in  our 
press.  In  the  letter  among  other  things  he  said  he  could  not 
help  but  believe — as  he  expressed  it — that  they  all  were  gain- 
ing a  certain  honorable  advancement  for  their  souls,  in  that 
struggle  in  which  they  were  engaged.  "Honorable  advance- 
ment for  their  souls!"  Can  we  say  that  to-day  of  the  young 
men  of  America  through  all  of  their  professions,  through  all  of 
their  business  life,  through  all  of  their  pursuits  in  this  day  of 
prosperity,  that  they  are  gaining  an  "honorable  advancement  for 
their  souls."  We  know  what  the  men  of  Europe,  those  young 
men,  are  gaining  to-day.  They  are  gaining  a  spiritual  insight 
that  they  never  had  before.  With  all  the  terrible  sacrifices 
of  the  war  there  is  this  compensation  brought  to  those  who 
are  engaged  in  it,  help  of  soul,  elevation  of  spirit.  God  for- 
bid that  the  young  men  of  our  country  should  be  compelled 
to  pass  through  such  scenes  in  order  to  get  such  a  reward. 

And,  therefore,  I  feel  that  this  situation  is  to-day  a  chal- 
lenge to  the  Church  on  the  one  hand  and  the  College  on  the 
other.  We  are  to  see  to  it  by  all  our  endeavors,  by  all  our 
energies,  by  a  new  consecration  not  only  of  our  activities  but 
of  our  thought,  that  we  in  some  way  stir  up  the  young  men 
of  our  country  to  realize  their  situation,  their  privilege,  their 
opportunity  and  their  responsibility.  We — this  Church,  Prince- 
ton University,  all  the  institutions  of  this  country  of  a  like 
kind — we  are  all  to  have  a  part  in  the  building  up  of  a  new 
world.     And  how  shall  that  new  world  be  built? 

109 


Farseeing  men  to-day  tell  us  as  regards  the  economic  and 
industrial  world,  as  regards  the  political  world,  that  there 
is  to  be  one  great  idea  that  will  dominate  Europe,  and  if 
we  are  to  keep  pace  with  Europe  it  must  dominate  us.  That 
idea  is  the  idea  of  common  interest,  concentrated  along  the  lines 
of  concerted  action.  The  day  of  extreme  individualism  is 
to  pass,  and  pass  away  forever.  We  are  to  work  together, 
industrially  and  politically.  That  is  to  be  the  great  formative 
constructive  idea.  Can  the  church  contribute  anything  along 
that  line?  It  seems  to  me  that  the  church  has,  out  of  the 
very  essential  idea  of  Christianity,  this  contribution  to  make 
to  this  country,  namely,  the  idea  of  a  common  cause,  the  cause 
of  truth  and  of  justice,  the  cause  of  righteousness — the  cause 
of  the  eternal  God  and  His  Christ. 

One  of  the  writers  of  the  present  day  in  France,  perhaps 
we  may  say  the  most  eminent  of  all  the  writers  of  this  present 
day  in  any  land,  because  he  has  just  received  as  recognition 
of  his  brilliant  attainments,  the  Nobel  Prize, — looking  out  from 
Europe  to-day  amidst  all  the  bloodshed,  all  the  disaster  of 
war,  says  that  it  is  possible  in  his  opinion  to  build  up  out  of 
all  this  wreckage — what?  What  he  is  pleased  to  call  the  City 
of  God !  "For  the  finer  spirits  of  Europe,"  he  writes,  "there 
are  two  dwelling  places ;  one  our  earthly  Fatherland  and  the 
other  the  City  of  God.  Of  the  one  we  are  the  guests ;  of  the 
other  the  builders.  To  the  one  we  must  give  our  lives  and 
our  faithful  hearts ;  but  neither  family,  nor  friend,  nor  Father- 
land, nor  aught  that  we  love,  is  to  have  ultimate  power  over 
the  spirit.  The  spirit  is  the  Hfe.  It  is  our  duty  to  hft  it 
above  the  tempests,  to  thrust  aside  the  clouds  which  threaten 
to  obscure  it  and  build  up  higher  and  stronger  the  walls  of 
that  City  wherein  the  souls  of  the  whole  world  may  assemble." 
And  taking  his  idea,  is  it  too  much  to  say  that  it  is  possible 
for  this  Church,  with  concerted  action,  with  all  the  forces 
that  make  for  righteousness  in  this  community,  to  make  of 
this  City,  the  City  of  God?  Some  may  smile  at  the  characteri- 
zation of  New  York  as  the  City  of  God.  But  it  is  possible, 
and  if  that  idea  can  here  by  realized,  it  will  be  the  hope  and 
the  salvation  of  our  nation.     But  in  order  that  it  may  be  re- 

110 


alized  not  only  the  Church  as  an  organization  but  the  Uni- 
versity as  an  organization,  all  of  us  individually,  must  take 
the  very  serious  problem  home  to  ourselves,  how  we  may  be 
able  to  simplify  our  lives  so  that  we  may  bring  them  in  line 
with  this  great  project  and  to  throw  all  of  our  energies  into 
its  realization. 

You  may  have  noticed  a  few  days  ago  in  a  paper  describ- 
ing the  burial  of  the  late  Emperor  of  Austria  the  pro- 
gram of  the  funeral  procession  was  given  somewhat  as  fol- 
lows : — the  funeral  procession  would  be  halted  at  the  en- 
trance to  the  vault  in  which  are  buried  all  together  some  one 
hundred  and  thirty-two  of  the  old  Hapsburg  line.  And  as 
they  stop,  there  is  to  come  a  challenge  from  within,  "Who  is 
there?"  Reply  will  be  made,  "His  Most  Serene  Majesty  the 
Emperor  Francis  Joseph."  The  challenger  will  then  reply, 
"I  know  him  not."  Responding  to  a  second  challenge,  "Who 
is  there?"  the  reply  will  be  made,  "The  Emperor  of  Austria, 
the  Apostolic  King  of  Hungary."  The  challenger  will  an- 
swer, "I  know  him  not."  When  for  the  third  time  the  voice 
within  asks,  "Who  demands  admittance?"  the  master  of  cere- 
monies is  to  make  reply,  "A  sinful  man,  our  brother  Francis 
Joseph."  The  portals  will  then  swing  open  and  the  proces- 
sion will  enter. 

A  sinful  man  before  God !  A  brother  to  one's  fellowmen ! 
That  is  the  supreme  condition  of  citizenship  in  the  great  "City 
of  God."  Shall  we,  my  friends,  wait  until  we  come  into 
the  condition  of  the  late  Emperor  of  Austria  at  the  time  of 
our  death,  shall  we  wait  for  that  day  when  we  are  reduced 
in  the  sight  of  God  to  our  simplest  terms?  Shall  we  not 
rather  seize  now  upon  this  idea  to  confess  ourselves  sinners  in 
the  sight  of  God,  but  brothers  to  our  fellowmen  ?  Let  that  idea 
rule  us,  not  in  the  hour  of  death  merely  but  in  the  full  flood 
of  life. 


Ill 


An  Address  entitled 

THE  OLD  FIRST  CHURCH  AND  SOCIAL  SERVICE 

was  then  delivered  by 

Mr.  Eugenius  H.  Outerbridge, 

President  of  the  New  York  Chamber  of  Commerce 

On  this  great  anniversary  of  two  hundred  years  of  active 
life  and  service  in  this  community,  it  is,  I  think,  historically 
worth  while  and  also  interesting  to  recall  the  relations  which 
the  Old  First  Church  and  its  members  have  had  with  social 
service  activities  in  this  City. 

One  hundred  and  sixteen  years  ago  this  Church  must  have 
already  gained  a  distinctive  position  in  the  community  in  re- 
gard to  its  sympathies  and  activities  in  charitable  work  on  a 
large  scale,  because  it  was  in  1801  that  Captain  Robert  Richard 
Randall,  at  that  time  a  prominent  and  wealthy  resident  of  New 
York  City,  declared  in  his  will  that,  for  all  time,  whoever  might 
be  the  Pastor  of  this  Church  should  be  one  of  a  small  body 
of  Trustees  of  his  estate,  which  he  was  leaving  for  the  estab- 
lishment of  that  wonderful  charity  known  as  the  Sailors  Snug 
Harbor;  and  so  it  happens  that  your  Pastor,  Dr.  Howard 
Dufifield,  has  for  twenty-five  years  been  one  of  those  Trustees. 

Perhaps  many  of  you  do  not  know  that  Captain  Randall's 
farm  which  constituted  a  large  part  of  the  estate  which  he  was 
leaving  for  this  purpose,  included  nearly  all  of  that  section 
of  the  City  lying  on  the  North  side  of  Washington  Square, 
up  Fifth  Avenue  to  Ninth  Street  and  East  to  Broadway ;  a  por- 
tion of  it  extending  even  to  Fourth  Avenue. 

This  densely  settled  section  of  the  City  can  hardly  now  be 
thought  of  as  having  been  a  farm.  With  the  care  and  devel- 
opment of  that  great  tract  of  property,  your  Pastor  has  had 
to  concern  himself  during  the  past  quarter  of  a  century;  but 
what  I  am  sure  has  interested  him  much  more,  has  been  the 
building  up  of  that  great  Institution  on  Staten  Island  for  the 
care  and  comfort  of  aged  and  infirm  seamen,  where  they 
live  out  the  remainder  of  their  fives  in  this  safe  and  peaceful 
harbor,   free  of   all   anxiety,  with  the   comforts   and   indeed 

112 


luxuries,  such  as  neither  the  forecastle  or  the  cabin  ever  pro- 
vided in  the  days  of  their  active  sea  service. 

Similarly  also,  the  founders  of  the  Leake  and  Watts  Orphan 
Home  in  Yonkers  provided  that  your  Pastor  should  be  one 
of  the  Trustees  of  that  corporation,  and  through  him  this 
Church  has  been  and  will  continue  to  be  a  directing  influence 
in  its  affairs. 

It  was  one  of  the  members  of  this  Church,  Mr.  James  Lenox^ 
who  donated  that  splendid  block  of  property  between  Madison 
and  Park  Avenues,  and  Seventieth  and  Seventy-first  Streets, 
for  the  founding  of  the  Presbyterian  Hospital  and  upon  which 
it  now  stands.  The  Hospital  corporation  was  organized  in 
the  Old  First  Lecture  Room,  and  as  long  as  Mr.  Lenox  lived, 
all  meetings  of  the  Directors  were  held  there. 

Then,  having  thus  provided  for  the  physical  needs  and  care 
of  the  sick  and  injured,  this  same  generous  giver  thought  of 
the  intellectual  needs  of  the  people  and  gave  to  this  City  the 
wonderful  Lenox  Library. 

Coming  down  through  more  recent  years,  the  establishment 
of  industrial  classes,  the  support  of  convalescent  ^nd  rest 
homes  for  aged  women  and  many  other  good  works  have 
signified  the  broad  and  helpful  activity  of  this  church  and  its 
people  in  social  service  work. 

Standing  here  between  downtown  and  uptown,  it  has  felt 
the  fickle  winds  of  fashion  blow  over  it,  and  the  changing 
tides  of  trade  swirl  about  it,  and  pass  on,  leaving  its  foundation 
unshaken  and  its  power  for  good  undisturbed.  Here  it  has 
touched,  in  greater  or  lesser  degree,  countless  thousands  of  men 
and  women,  who  in  these  economic  changes  and  in  the  tur- 
moil of  their  busy  and  transitory  lives,  have  for  a  time, 
labored  around  this  center  and  passed  on.  Here  it  stands, 
never  closed,  spreading  its  influence  and  welcome  to  all  comers 
every  day  in  the  year.     So  much  for  the  past. 

In  conclusion  I  would  like  to  say  just  a  word  for  the  future. 

Situated  in  perhaps  the  only  part  of  the  city  of  Greater 
New  York  that  may  be  said  to  possess  a  "neighborhood"  it 
supplies  a  spiritual  and  practical  center  for  what,  if  the  peo- 
ple of  this  neighborhood  so  will  it,  may  become  a  center  of 

113 


art,  literature  and  religion.  A  center,  which  may  express  by 
its  people,  in  its  methods  of  life  and  in  the  character  of  its 
buildings,  the  ideals  of  cultured  but  simple  living,  free  from 
ostentation  and  extravagance.  In  place  of  ever  changing 
currents  of  trade,  there  may  be  substituted  and  perpetuated 
here  a  real  civic  center,  a  community  life  and  spirit,  a  munici- 
pal example,  w^hich  as  pictured  in  the  beautiful  thought  and 
words  of  Dr.  Hibben,  may  make  it  indeed  the  First  Little 
City  of  God  in  the  City  of  Greater  New  York. 

An  Address  entitled 

THE  OLD  FIRST  CHURCH  AND  EDUCATION 

was  then  delivered  by 

The  Reverend  Doctor  J.  Ross  Stevenson, 

President  of  Princeton  Theological  Seminary 

I  count  it  a  great  honor  on  this  joyous  occasion  to  bring 
the  greeting  of  Princeton  Seminary,  an  Institution  which  has 
trained  for  the  Christian  ministry  six  thousand  men,  the  larg- 
est number  sent  out  by  any  American  theological  institution, 
and  which  has  to-day  in  the  service  of  the  church  three  thou- 
sand graduates,  and  an  Institution  which  owes  much  in  every 
way  to  the  Old  First  Church.  It  was  the  Pastor  of  the  Church, 
Dr.  Samuel  Miller,  who  more  than  a  hundred  years  ago  elo- 
quently advocated  the  establishment  of  a  Presbyterian  Semi- 
nary. In  the  Assembly  of  1810  he  was  Chairman  of  the  Com- 
mittee, which  brought  in  a  report  recommending  that  a  Semi- 
nary should  be  established  and  that  it  should  be  located  at 
Princeton.  This  Church  not  only  had  a  voice  in  the  organiza- 
tion of  our  Seminary,  but  all  through  the  years  it  has  taken 
a  most  active  part  in  its  direction  and  maintenance.  Not  to 
mention  gifts  for  special  needs  sent  in  from  time  to  time — 
the  amounts  contributed  by  members  of  this  Church — the 
Lenox  family,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  R.  L.  Kennedy  and  Mrs.  Win- 
throp — towards  grounds,  buildings  and  endowment  reach  a 
grand  total  of  more  than  two  million  of  dollars.  On  the 
Boards  of  Directors  and  Trustees  this  Church  during  the  en- 
tire life  of  the  Institution  has  been  continuously  represented. 

114 


All  the  Pastors  of  this  Church  since  1812  have,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  Dr.  Whelpley,  been  members  of  the  Seminary  direc- 
torate. Dr.  Duffield's  twenty-fifth  anniversary  as  the  Pastor 
of  this  Church  marks  his  service  of  a  quarter  of  a  century  as 
a  Princeton  Director.  For  fifty  years  this  Church  has  been 
served  continuously  by  Princeton  Seminary  graduates.  There 
are  two  names  which  form  the  strongest  links  between  the 
Seminary  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  and  ''The  Old  First," 
Samuel  Miller  and  William  M.  Paxton.  The  former  resigned 
the  Pastorate  of  this  Church  in  1813  to  accept  the  Professor- 
ship of  Church  Government  and  Ecclesiastical  History  in 
Princeton  Seminary,  which  position  he  filled  for  thirty-six 
years.  He  and  Dr.  Archibald  Alexander  are  very  properly 
considered  the  founders  of  Princeton  Seminary.  Dr.  Henry 
A.  Boardman  of  Philadelphia  speaking  of  the  Divine  Spirit's 
influence  in  the  establishment  of  the  Seminary  says,  ''His 
benign  agency  is  especially  to  be  recognized  in  the  selection  of 
the  original  Professors.  Upon  them  would  depend  mainly, 
under  Providence  not  only  the  character  of  this  Seminary, 
but  the  character  of  future  Seminaries  to  be  established  in 
other  parts  of  the  church  and  indeed  the  character  of  our 
ministry  as  a  body.  Our  church  can  never  be  sufficiently 
grateful  to  God,  that  He  so  ordered  events  as  to  place  the 
institution  in  the  hands  of  two  men  who  were  prominently 
qualified  for  this  very  responsible  trust."  Dr.  Paxton  was 
called  from  the  Pastorate  of  this  Church  in  1883  to  take  up 
the  work  of  the  Chair  of  Ecclesiastical  Homiletical  and 
Pastoral  Theology,  and  in  a  faithful  and  wide-reaching  service 
he  labored  for  twenty  years.  The  spirit  of  these  two  men  has 
been  woven  into  the  very  texture  of  the  Seminary's  life 
and  work.  Men  of  strong  doctrinal  beliefs,  clearly  appre- 
hending the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus,  and  possessing  a  passion 
for  its  proclamation,  they  were  men  of  irenic  temper,  al- 
ways solicitious  for  the  peace  and  harmony  of  the  Church. 
When  the  question  of  theological  training  was  agitating  the 
church  more  than  a  hundred  years  ago,  three  propositions  came 
before  the  General  Assembly,  first,  to  establish  a  Seminary 
in  each  Synod,  seven  in  all;  second,  to  establish  two  Semi- 

115 


naries  in  such  places  as  might  best  accommodate  the  North- 
ern and  Southern  divisions  of  the  Church,  and  third,  to 
found  one  great  school  in  some  convenient  place.  It  was 
Dr.  Miller's  advocacy  of  one  Seminary  which  prevailed,  and 
the  reasons  he  urged  were,  the  advantage  of  large  funds,  a 
more  extensive  library,  a  greater  number  of  professors,  a 
system  of  education,  therefore,  more  extensive  and  perfect; 
the  youths  educated  in  it  would  also  be  more  united  in  the 
same  views  and  contract  an  early  and  lasting  friendship  for 
each  other,  circumstances  which  could  not  fail  to  promote 
prosperity  and  harmony  in  the  church.  When  the  Old  and 
New  School  parties  arose  in  the  Church  the  Princeton  Pro- 
fessors counseled  moderation  and  restraint.  Indeed  so  toler- 
ant was  their  spirit  and  so  close  their  friendship  with  some 
of  the  New  School  men  that  conservatives  in  New  York  took 
alarm,  and  believing  that  Princeton  was  about  to  be  captured 
by  the  liberal  wing  of  the  Church,  they  took  steps  to  estab- 
lish an  Old  School  Seminary  here  in  New  York,  going  so 
far  as  to  select  a  suitable  site,  and  place  funds  in  the  bank 
for  the  undertaking.  Dr.  Paxton,  brought  up  in  the  Old 
School  branch,  formed  close  friendships  with  New  School 
colleagues,  with  Dr.  William  Adams  first  of  all,  for  whom 
he  cherished  a  boundless  reverence,  with  Doctors  Henry  B. 
Smith,  Thomas  H.  Skinner,  Robert  H.  Booth,  Howard  Crosby, 
Charles  H.  Robinson.  He  was  a  lecturer  in  Union  Seminary 
and  held  a  place  in  the  Board  of  Government.  These  men 
also  brought  to  the  Seminary  the  spirit  of  a  strong  and  ag- 
gressive evangelism.  When  Dr.  Miller  began  his  work  as  a 
teacher  he  made  the  solemn  resolution  "that  by  the  grace  of 
God,  I  will  not  merge  my  office  as  a  Minister  of  the  Gospel 
in  that  of  Professor."  Trained  for  the  pulpit  he  gloried  in 
preaching  and  his  heart  glowed  with  a  passion  for  souls. 
Along  with  his  colleagues,  the  students  of  the  Seminary,  the 
President  and  some  earnest  students  of  the  College,  a  day  of 
fasting  and  prayer  was  observed  in  1823,  in  behalf  of  a  greater 
religious  interest  in  institutions  of  higher  learning.  This 
marked  the  beginning  of  a  revival  and  inaugurated  what  is 
since  known  as  "The  Day  of  Prayer  for  Colleges."     Dr.  Mil- 

116 


ler's  biographer  gives  us  a  striking  picture  of  him  engaged  in 
conversation  with  Daniel  Webster  as  they  journeyed  by  steam- 
boat to  Philadelphia.  These  two  men  walked  up  and  down  the 
deck  and  Mr.  Webster  listened  intently,  as  the  earnest  prophet 
of  the  Lord  set  before  him  the  claims  of  Jesus  Christ.  In 
like  manner  Dr.  Paxton  corresponded  with  President  Bu- 
chanan, explaining  to  him  the  nature  of  experimental  religion 
and  the  significance  of  a  profession  of  faith  in  Christ  and 
received  from  him  assurance  of  his  trust  in  the  Saviour  and 
decision  to  unite  with  the  Church.  These  men  held  that 
Theological  Seminaries  are  primarily  training  schools  for  min- 
isters of  the  Gospel,  and  whose  students  should  have  the  spirit 
of  the  original  propagators  of  the  faith,  known  as  lovers  and 
defenders  of  the  truth,  and  friends  of  revivals  of  religion. 
And  they  also  imbued  the  Seminary  with  missionary  interest 
and  zeal.  Due  no  doubt  to  Dr.  Miller's  influence,  the  original 
plan  of  the  Seminary  has  this  aim :  "It  is  to  found  a  nursery 
for  missionaries  to  the  heathen,  and  to  such  as  are  destitute 
of  the  stated  preaching  of  the  gospel;  in  which,  youth  may 
receive  that  appropriate  training  which  may  lay  the  founda- 
tion for  their  ultimately  becoming  eminently  qualified  for  mis- 
sionary work."  As  early  as  1829  Dr.  Miller  and  Dr.  Alexan- 
der and  Dr.  Hodge  advocated  the  establishment  of  a  Mission- 
ary Department  in  Princeton  Seminary.  Dr.  Miller  recorded 
in  1823  his  resolution  to  devote  himself  more  earnestly  to  the 
precious  cause  of  missions,  domestic  and  foreign.  It  was 
largely  due  to  his  advocacy  in  1836,  when  he  laid  down  the 
principle  that  the  Church  is  a  missionary  and  educational  so- 
ciety commissioned  to  send  the  gospel  to  every  creature  and  to 
train  laborers  therefor,  that  our  Foreign  Mission  Board  was 
organized.  He  was  the  first  President  of  this  Board  and  con- 
tinued in  office  until  his  death.  Dr.  Paxton  was  also  a  mem- 
ber, and  for  a  while,  the  President  of  this  same  Board,  and 
sustained  a  similar  relationship  to  the  Home  Board.  It  is 
not  surprising,  therefore,  that  Princeton  Seminary  has  sent 
more  men  into  missionary  service  than  any  other  Institution 
in  our  land.  The  time  would  fail  me  to  speak  of  other  strong 
ties  which  bind  Princeton  Seminary  to  this  honored  Church. 

117 


Others  have  labored,  and  we  who  have  entered  into  their  labors 
can  do  nothing  better  and  nobler  than  to  make  the  past  a  suc- 
cess by  increasing  their  heritage,  fulfilling  their  worthy  pur- 
poses and  by  following  them  as  they  followed  Christ. 

An  Address  entitled 

THE  OLD  FIRST  CHURCH  AND  THE 

COMMONWEALTH 

was  then  delivered  by 

The  Honorable  Charles  S.  Whitman 

Governor  of  the  State  of  New  York 

To-night  as  I  entered  the  Church,  my  very  old  friend  Justice 
Goff ,  our  former  Recorder,  recalled  the  fact  that  sometime  ago, 
at  a  Presbyterian  gathering  in  the  City,  the  presiding  officer  re- 
marked, "Our  District  Attorney,  I  know,  is  entirely  at  home 
in  at  least  two  places  in  this  world ;  one  of  them  is  a  criminal 
courtroom,  and  the  other  within  the  walls  of  a  Presbyterian 
church."  I  grew  up  in  a  Presbyterian  parsonage,  I  was 
graduated  from  there  to  the  Criminal  Court.  I  am  thor- 
oughly familiar  with  both  places ;  and  I  am  absolutely  sure 
tTiat  a  more  intimate  association  on  the  part  of  both  would  be 
better  for  either. 

By  virtue  of  the  office,  which  is  likely  to  be  mine  for  two 
years  to  come,  it  has  been  my  privilege — and  it  is  a  very  great 
privilege — to  be  present  at  gatherings,  celebrations,  anniver- 
saries, centennials  of  various  organizations,  civic,  social  and 
religious,  in  various  parts  of  this  State  in  which  we  live,  and 
which  we  all  love.  In  addressing  an  organization  consecrated 
to  religious  and  social  activities,  as  is  this  organization,  and 
the  hundreds  and  thousands  of  other  organizations  all  over 
New  York,  I  realize,  as  I  know  you  do,  the  tremendous  sig- 
nificance of  what  it  means  when  a  splendid  gathering  Hke 
this  comes  together  to  celebrate  two  hundred  years  of  exist- 
ence of  this  Church  in  this  great  City.  But  the  real  life  of 
this  Church,  and  of  any  church  as  old  as  this,  or  as  young 
as  this,  is  lived  not  alone  within  this  City  where  it  has  stood 
for   two   hundred   years,   but    in  the   vast   numbers    of   men 

118 


and  women  who  have  gone  forth  from  this  Church,  and  from 
hundreds  of  other  churches  in  this  City  of  New  York,  who 
have  been  inspired  here  and  in  those  other  churches  to  noble 
lives,  reaching  and  inspiring  other  lives  as  they  have  gone 
forth,  bringing  their  wealth  of  splendid  manhood  and  of  splen- 
did womanhood  to  the  towns  and  villages  throughout  this 
State,  and  to  other  communities  throughout  the  nation.  All 
these  have  been,  in  a  very  true  sense,  making  history  for  the 
First  Presbyterian  Church  for  two  hundred  years.  It  is  im- 
possible to  estimate  how  much  of  good  has  been  accomplished 
for  the  Commonwealth,  and  for  this  nation,  by  this  organiza- 
tion brought  into  being  two  hundred  years  ago. 

It  is  eminently  fitting,  it  seems  to  me,  that  one  who  has  a 
right,  and  who  is  extremely  proud  of  the  privilege  of  repre- 
senting all  the  people  of  all  the  State  of  New  York — ten  mil- 
lions of  people  or  more — should  rejoice  with  you,  and  should 
speak  the  sentiments  which  I  know  animate  all  people  familiar 
with  the  conditions,  and  would  inspire  them  all,  did  they  but 
know  the  conditions,  to  rejoice  with  you  and  share  with  you 
in  this  service  and  on  this  occasion.  We  are  brothers  and 
sisters  in  this  great  State.  We  are  divided  in  all  kinds  of 
ways,  but  after  all,  notwithstanding  all  that  we  say  about  each 
other,  we  really  do  love  each  other.  Perhaps  no  one  religious 
organization  has  played  a  more  important  part  in  the  civic  life 
of  this  City,  and  of  this  State,  than  has  this  old  Church.  It 
was  old  even  in  the  days  of  the  Revolution.  It  did  not  belong 
to  a  machine ;  it  was  irregular  before  the  Revolution.  Being 
a,  dissenting  body,  they  would  not  even  let  it  have  a  charter. 
It  was  not  recognized  at  all.  It  was  not  an  incorporated  church 
Ijefore  the  Revolution.  Its  charter  was  held  by  the  Presby- 
terian Assembly  of  Scotland.  Yes,  this  Church  was  owned  in 
Scotland  before  the  Revolution. 

The  inscription  upon  its  seal  is,  at  least  technically  and  le- 
gally, correct.  "The  First  Church  in  the  Commonwealth  of 
New  York !"  A  pretty  big  claim,  my  friends.  Nothing  mod- 
est about  that  claim  on  the  part  of  the  First  Church.  "The 
First  Church  in  the  Commonwealth  of  New  York!"  It 
was  not  the  "first  church"  at  all,  but  it  was  the  first  religious 

119 


organization  to  receive  corporate  existence  under  the  first  Act 
for  the  Incorporation  of  ReHgious  Societies  which  was  passed 
by  the  first  legislature  assembled  in  the  State  of  New  York 
after  New  York  had  become  a  sovereign  State.  The  first 
religious  charter  given  by  the  first  legislature  of  the  State  of 
New  York  was  given  to  this  Church.  There  were  politicians 
before  the  present  generation ;  and  I  have  often  wondered  if 
the  fact  that  this  Church  should  have  received  the  first  charter 
from  the  first  Legislature,  was  at  all  due  to  the  other  fact  that 
the  Chaplain  of  that  Legislature  was  the  Pastor  of  this  Church. 

In  revolutionary  days,  when  social  and  religious  organiza- 
tions were  divided,  members  of  this  Church  were  among  the 
staunchest  friends  and  supporters  of  Washington  and  his 
armies.  General  McDougal,  Colonel  of  the  First  New  York 
Infantry,  Brigadier  General  in  1776,  Major  General  in  1777, 
was  an  Elder  in  this  Church  all  the  time.  A  tablet  upon  the 
wall  of  this  church  building  recalls  the  fact  that  Col.  John 
Broome,  a  gallant  soldier  of  the  Revolution,  was  for  many 
years  a  consistent  and  devoted  member  here ;  and  the  Pastor  of 
this  anything  but  meek  and  lowly  flock  at  that  time  was  a 
trusted  friend  of  Washington,  was  the  Chaplain  of  Heath's 
fighting  brigade  and  leader  of  the  first  Constitutional  Conven- 
tion ever  assembled  in  this  State,  of  the  Committee  of  Seventy, 
and,  as  I  have  said  before,  of  the  first  Legislature  of  New 
York. 

At  the  outbreak  of  the  Revolution  three  of  its  members, 
leading  lawyers  of  this  city,  who  were  consistent  and  con- 
spicuous advocates  of  the  principles  which  resulted  in  the 
American  Revolution — the  "Presbyterian  Triumvirate,"  as  they 
were  called — sent  a  call  to  Boston  and  to  Philadelphia  and 
to  the  South  for  a  convocation  of  the  colonies  of  the  South  to 
take  a  stand  for  American  liberty  against  British  invasion  of 
American  rights ;  and  this,  says  the  historian  Bancroft,  was 
the  origin  of  the  call  for  a  Continental  Congress.  I  under- 
stand that  some  of  the  members  of  this  Church  are  almost 
inclined  to  claim  that  the  Continental  Congress  began  in  the 
First  Presbyterian  Church. 

You  saw  a  small  portion  of  my  army  march  up  the  aisle 
to-night.     I  know  that  some  of  you  realized  at  least  that  this 

120 


was  not  the  first  time  that  military  uniforms  had  been  seen 
within  the  walls  or  the  martial  tread  of  marching  feet  heard 
in  the  First  Church.  Its  building  was  used  as  a  barracks  for 
British  soldiers,  and  as  a  riding  school  for  the  men  that  were 
fighting  those  who  were  defending  American  liberties  much 
more  than  a  century  ago. 

I  might  continue  until  I  should  tire  you  recounting  incidents 
more  of  which  I  presume  you  have  already  heard  during  the 
past  few  days  here  in  this  building.  Yours  is  a  goodly  her- 
itage, a  proud  character.  By  what  this  powerful  Church  has 
done  in  the  years  that  are  gone  we  may  know  something  of  its 
possibilities  during  the  years  that  are  to  come.  It  has  exer- 
cised in  years  gone  by  a  mighty  influence  in  the  life  of  this 
splendid  commonwealth  of  New  York,  not  only  on  account 
of  its  pulpit,  which  has  ever  been  powerful,  as  it  is  to-day, 
but  as  well  because  its  members  were  actively  interested  in 
the  life  of  the  community  and  the  State — at  least,  they  were  in 
years  gone  by, — bringing  to  their  duties  the  inspiring  force 
of  Christian  manhood  devoted  to  things  that  were  true,  that 
were  righteous  and  that  were  of  good  report.  If  this  land 
of  ours  is  great  it  is  because  our  souls  have  been  made  to 
keep  pace  with  our  minds,  because  we  have  permitted  no  fatal 
breach  between  our  intellect  and  our  ideals.  If  this  greatness 
is  to  continue,  if  our  conviction  of  our  high  destiny  is  to  be 
realized,  there  must  be  no  lessening  in  the  importance  of  our 
religious  institutions,  in  the  value  of  ideals,  in  the  militancy  of 
faith.  More  than  ever  before  the  problems  of  life  demand 
that  religion  shall  be  part  and  parcel  of  life,  gaining  new  and 
more  vital  meaning  with  every  day  that  passes. 

There  is  no  place  in  this  world  of  ours  for  a  church  that 
disdains  the  work  of  the  world  and  the  life  of  the  world.  Re- 
moteness and  aloofness  soon  become  uselessness.  I  know  you 
will  understand  the  allusion  when  I  say  we  do  not  want  our 
good  churchmen  "on  the  side  lines,"  we  want  them  "in  the 
game." 

It  is  the  history  of  Christendom  from  the  first,  that  relig- 
ious movements  have  been  marked  by  interest  in  human  con- 
ditions and  by  fearless  and  united  attack  upon  evil  and  upon 

121 


injustice,  I  admit  no  fundamental  evil  in  our  national  life, 
in  the  life  of  our  City  or  State.  I  hold  it  is  good,  all  of  it. 
There  is  not  a  single  injustice  that  has  not  been  cried  out 
against,  and  that  will  not  be  remedied  when  the  people  come  to 
realize  the  power  that  lies  in  united  attack.  To  help  to  bring 
about  this  unity  is  peculiarly,  it  seems  to  me,  the  work  of  re- 
ligious preachers  and  religious  teachers  and  religious  organ- 
izations ;  and  by  your  splendid  past  and  present,  by  the  splen- 
did service  which  you  have  rendered  to  the  State  and  the  land 
in  the  years  that  have  gone  by,  we  measure,  and  we  have  a 
right  to  measure,  the  things  that  you  are  abundantly  able  to 
do  and  the  things  that  you  are  yet  to  do  for  the  Common- 
wealth of  New  York  and  for  humanity. 

Then  was  sung  the  Hymn : 

"God  bless  our  native  land." 

The  following  Letters  were  then  read  by 

The  Reverend  Doctor  Marquis. 

The  White  House, 

Washington 

Shadow  Lawn, 
October  23,  1916. 
My  dear  Dr.  Duffield: 

I  am  complimented  by  the  invitation  so  kindly  conveyed  by 
your  letter  of  October  twentieth  to  attend  the  two  hundredth 
anniversary  of  the  founding  of  the  Old  First  Presbyterian 
Church  in  the  City  of  New  York,  but,  unhappily,  it  is  impos- 
sible for  me  to  accept  because  the  celebration  falls  at  the  very 
time  of  the  assembling  of  Congress  for  the  last  session  of  the 
64th  Congress. 

Since  I  cannot  be  present  in  person,  will  you  not  accept  for 
yourself  and  convey  to  the  officers  and  members  of  the  Old 
First  Church  my  very  warm  congratulations  on  the  occasion 
of  the  bi-centennial  celebration  of  the  founding  of  the  congre- 
gation? They  certainly  have  reason  to  look  back  with  grati- 
fication and  pride  upon  a  long  history  of  distinguished  service 
to  the  community. 

Cordially  and  sincerely  yours, 

Woodrow  Wilson. 

122 


Sagamore  Hill. 

November  13th,  1916. 
My  dear  Dr.  Du field: 

I  thank  you  for  your  kind  invitation.     I  greatly  regret  that 
it  is  out  of  my  power  to  be  present  on  such  an  historic  occasion. 
With  all  good  wishes, 

Sincerely  yours, 

Theodore  Roosevelt. 

November  7th,  1916. 
My  dear  Dr.  Dii field: 

I  write  to  congratulate  you  on  the  celebration  of  the  Bi- 
centennial of  the  Old  First  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  city 
of  New  York.  The  leading  part  which  this  old  church  has 
played  in  ecclesiastical  affairs  in  America  for  two  centuries 
makes  this  celebration  of  the  utmost  interest.  Its  service  to 
our  country  during  the  Revolutionary  period,  in  recruiting 
the  Sons  of  Liberty  from  its  membership,  and  furnishing 
many  of  the  officers  of  the  Continental  Army,  entitle  it  to  the 
gratitude  of  all  Americans.  Such  an  historic  heritage  as  that 
you  have  is  exceptional  among  churches,  and  you  are  right  to 
cherish  it.  I  am  sorry  I  can  not  be  with  you  to  join  in  the 
celebration,  which  I  hope  will  be  a  great  success. 
Sincerely  yours, 

Wm.  H.  Taft. 

A  Greeting  from  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  in  the  United  States  was  then  delivered 
By  the  Moderator 
The  Reverend  Doctor  John  A.  Marquis 

It  is  my  privilege  to  convey  to  the  Pastor,  the  Officers  and 
Members  of  this  historic  Church  the  Greetings  of  the  Gen- 
eral Assembly  of  that  Communion,  in  whose  history  this  Church 
has  played  so  conspicuous  a  part.  You  have  a  great  past,  a 
past  full  of  noble  service  and  of  glorious  deeds;  but  you  also 
have  a  future,  of  which  we  are  desirous  to  congratulate  you 
as  well  as  upon  your  great  record.  The  past  with  its  ser- 
vices rendered  to  both  the  Kingdom  of  Christ  and  the  coun- 

123 


try  is  magnificent,  but  we  believe  the  future  is  going  to  be 
finer  still,  in  service  to  the  country,  the  city,  and  to  the  w^hole 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ. 

You  have  had  the  courage  to  stay  downtow^n,  when  you 
might  have  gone  to  a  more  promising  section  uptown;  and 
for  that  courage  we  greet  you  and  congratulate  you  to-night, 
and  take  pride  in  you.  You  have  a  chance  here  to  find  the 
solution  to  a  very  difficult  problem,  one  of  the  most  difficult 
confronting  the  Church  to-day;  that  of  making  the  Church 
what  it  ought  to  be  in  a  downtown  district.  The  frontier  of 
the  gospel  to-day  is  not  on  the  plains.  It  is  not  in  the  Rocky 
Mountains.  It  is  in  the  dividing  line  between  Uptown  and 
Downtown  in  our  great  cities. 

You  began  as  a  pioneer  Church  two  hundred  years  ago. 
You  are  a  pioneer  Church  to-day  in  remaining  in  a  great  un- 
captured  section  of  the  City  into  which  the  Church  must  ere 
long  find  an  opening. 

We  trust  you  will  find  the  key  to  making  the  Church  a 
home  in  this  downtown  community,  a  place  of  warmth  and 
sympathy,  a  place  of  invitation,  of  Christian  experience  and 
uplifting  worship  to  the  whole  community. 

I  often  think  of  this  Church  and  of  Trinity  on  lower  Broad- 
way, as  oases  in  the  great  wilderness  of  granite  cliffs  about 
them;  places  where  the  grass  is  green,  where  there  is  an  at- 
mosphere radiating  welcome  and  invitation.  I  have  seen 
churches  in  some  of  our  cities  whose  only  announcement  or 
sign  on  the  outside,  visible  to  the  naked  eye,  was  the  address 
of  the  undertaker.  I  am  sure  that  the  outside  of  this  Church 
is  going  to  present  a  vastly  different  front  to  the  community. 
What  greater  service  can  you  render  to  the  community  or 
to  the  Kingdom  of  Christ  than  to  make  the  people  round 
about  feel  that  here  is  a  spot  where  they  can  think  of  higher 
things,  where  there  is  warmth  and  cheer  and  help,  that  after 
all  this  is  a  good  community  to  live  in,  and  in  which  they  can 
safely  train  their  children.  In  a  good  many  of  the  Western 
cities  they  have  what  is  called  a  "booster"  committee,  the 
business  of  which  is  to  convince  everybody  in  the  world  out- 
side, that  that  particular  town  is  the  best  place  on  the  planet 

124 


for  sensible  people  to  live  in, — with  what  regard  for  the  truth  I 
shall  not  say.  At  any  rate  they  are  performing  a  psychological 
service  to  the  community,  making  people  satisfied  to  be  there, 
glad  to  be  there,  to  live  their  lives,  and  rear  their  children. 
If  works  for  contentment,  for  peace,  for  law  and  order,  for 
public  improvement  and  public  spirit  in  everything.  This  is 
what  a  Church  should  be;  a  leaven  to  make  people  contented, 
and  happy,  to  make  them  proud  of  their  situation  and  work  in 
life.  This  Church  has  a  great  chance  here  in  the  heart  of  the 
world's  metropolis  to  show  the  rest  of  us  how  to  find  the  solu- 
tion of  what  we  call  the  downtown  problem. 

I  greet  you  and  congratulate  you  in  the  name  of  Presby- 
terians everywhere.  I  assure  you  of  our  prayers  and  our 
good  wishes  as  you  enter  the  third  century  of  your  history  of 
service  to  the  Kingdom  and  the  Country. 

Then  the  Apostles'  Creed  was  recited  by  the  People,  a  Collect 
was  read  by  the  Pastor,  and  Dr.  Mendenhall  pronounced  the 
Benediction. 

The  Procession  then  reformed  and  returned  to  the  Chapel 
singing  as  a  Recessional  Hymn, 

"Forward  be  our  watchword." 


125 


THE  PASTOR'S  XXVth  ANNIVERSARY 

Thursday,  December  the  Seventh,  8  P.  M. 

The  Organ  Recital 

Soon  after  Doctor  Duffield  had  been  installed  in  the  pastor- 
ate of  the  Old  First  Church,  William  C.  Carl  was  engaged  as 
Organist  and  Choir  Master.  Doctor  Duffield  began  his  work 
the  first  Sunday  of  December,  1891,  and  Mr.  Carl  entered  upon 
his  duties  the  second  Sunday  of  March,  1892.  From  the 
outset  Mr.  Carl  cooperated  with  the  Pastor  most  sympa- 
thetically and  helpfully,  consulting  his  wishes  in  every  par- 
ticular, carrying  out  perfectly  his  every  suggestion,  and  lend- 
ing his  aid  in  every  way  in  his  power  to  assist  in  promoting 
the  welfare  of  the  Church.  By  untiring  effort,  as  well  as  mas- 
terly ability  in  his  art,  he  has  developed  the  musical  interests 
of  the  Church,  establishing  them  upon  a  high  level  and  greatly 
enlarging  their  scope.  The  character  of  his  work  commanded 
such  public  recognition  that  the  University  of  the  City  of  New 
York  conferred  upon  him  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Music. 
The  musical  features  of  the  Bi-Centennial  Celebration  were 
planned  with  great  care,  prepared  for  with  painstaking  thor- 
oughness and  executed  with  notable  skill — contributing  in  a 
marked  degree  to  the  impressiveness  of  the  Festival  Services. 
With  characteristic  courtesy,  Dr.  Carl  tendered  the  Pastor  a 
special  Recital  in  honor  of  the  "Twenty-fifth  Anniversary  of 
the  Pastorate."  This  was  given  on  the  evening  of  Thursday, 
the  seventh  of  December.  The  program  consisted  entirely  of 
excerpts  from  Wagner's  "Parsifal,"  christened  by  the  com- 
poser a  "Stage  Consecrating  Drama."  The  following  numbers 
were  rendered,  illustrating  the  theme  of  the  drama,  and  the 
unfolding  of  its  plot : 

The  Prelude 

The  Entry  to  the  Hall  of  the  Grail 

The  Lament  of  Amfortas 

126 


The  Voice  from  on  High 

The  Chorus  of  the  Flower  Maidens 

The  Narrative  of  Kundry 

The  Good  Friday  Spell 

The  March  of  the  Grail  Knights 

Assisting  Doctor  Carl  were  the  following  artists : 
Margaret  Harrison,  Soprano 
Andrea  Sarto,  Bass 
Alix  Young  Maruchess,  Violinist 
William  G.  Reddick,  Pianist 
William  Irving  Nevins,  Chimes. 

Comments  upon  the  work  were  read  by  Doctor  Duffield  from 
a  monograph  which  he  had  written  upon  "Parsifal."  The  en- 
tire performance  was  of  unique  interest.  The  Organist  inter- 
preted the  marvelous  music  with  rare  force  and  charm.  The 
artists  who  assisted  him  rose  to  the  severe  demands  upon  their 
skill.  The  audience,  which  crowded  the  Church  to  its  capac- 
ity, gave  every  evidence  of  keen  satisfaction  and  appreciation. 

The  event  was  in  every  way  worthy  of  the  occasion — in 
idea,  in  execution  and  in  spirit.  The  very  selection  of  "Par- 
sifal" for  a  Recital  which  was  to  be  a  tribute  to  the  fellow- 
ship between  art  and  religion  was  peculiarly  happy.  The 
remarkable  saturation  of  this  noble  work  with  the  devotional 
spirit  was  emphasized  by  Dr.  Duffield,  who,  among  other  re- 
marks, said :  "The  Feast  of  the  Grail  in  'Parsifal'  is  a  compos- 
ite symbol  invented  by  the  author  of  the  work  to  lay  stress  upon 
the  idea  of  the  redemption  of  humanity  through  atoning  sacri- 
fice, which  is  the  tap-root  of  all  religious  thinking.  On  this 
point  let  Wagner  speak  for  himself  :  "It  is  the  function  of  art  to 
preserve  the  inner  kernel  of  religion ;  and  the  way  it  does  this  is 
to  take  the  mythical  symbols  which  religion  insists  on  having 
men  believe  in  their  literal  sense ;  to  conceive  them  in  their  em- 
blematic sense;  and  by  ideal  representation  to  call  attention 
to  the  deep  truth  which  is  concealed  within  them."  The  spirit 
of  intense  religiousness  with  which  this  drama  is  saturated, 
and  the  noble  forms  in  which  it  finds  expression,  would  seem 
to  have  opened  to  the  Church  an  inviting  opportunity.     Every 

127 


friend  of  the  truth  may  well  rejoice  from  the  heart,  that  the 
lyric  stage  has  been  so  uplifted  that  the  presentation  of  such 
a  work  is  possible,  a  veritable  "stage  consecrating  play,"  con- 
verting the  opera  house  into  a  pulpit  for  the  publication  of 
the  noblest  themes  to  moved  and  reverent  throngs;  and  stir- 
ring to  its  depths  the  universal  heart,  by  the  exhibition  of  eter- 
nal verities.  It  is  a  spectacle  to  command  the  Church's  grate- 
ful and  sympathetic  approbation,  to  behold  a  mighty  genius 
tasking  his  rare  powers  and  enlisting  every  resource  of  all  the 
arts,  to  bear  witness  to  the  splendor  and  the  sovereignty  of  the 
vital  elements  in  the  doctrine  of  the  Christ,  those  very  truths 
which  the  Church  exists  to  publish.  Such  a  unique  product  of 
mental  power  as  "Parsifal"  is  a  mighty  apologetic  for  Chris- 
tianity, and  its  author  an  ally  whose  service  the  Church  should 
gladly  hail,  in  the  age-long  effort  to  emancipate  humanity  from 
its  woe,  and  to  brighten  this  sad  earth." 


128 


THE  PASTOR'S  XXVth  ANNIVERSARY 

Friday,  December  the  Eighth,  8.30  to  10.30  P.  M. 

The  Church  Reception 

Twenty-five  years  as  Pastor  of  one  Church,  guiding  it  from 
uncertainty  into  security,  is  a  goodly  record.  Among  the 
brightest  spots  in  that  whole  successful  period  is  this  Bi-Cen- 
tennial  Celebration,  and  the  most  personal  and  intimate  event 
of  that  Celebration,  was  the  Reception  on  December  the  eighth, 
given  by  the  Members  and  Friends  of  the  Old  First  Church  to 
Doctor  and  Mrs.  Duffield. 

By  a  happy  coincidence  Doctor  Duffield  rounded  out  the 
Quarter  Century  of  his  pastorate  at  the  very  time  the  Church 
completed  the  Second  Century  of  its  work.  The  Twenty-fifth 
Anniversary  of  their  coming  was  made  the  occasion  of  a  heart 
stirring  expression  of  the  Church's  love  and  loyalty  to  the 
Pastor  and  his  Wife. 

The  Reception  was  one  of  the  most  impressive  events  of  the 
kind  ever  held  in  the  Old  First  Church.  The  Chapel  was 
beautifully  decorated.  The  Officers  and  Members  of  the 
Church  with  their  friends  and  neighbors  filled  the  room  with 
a  glad  assemblage.  The  bright  faces  and  glad  voices  charged 
the  atmosphere  with  a  contagion  of  rejoicing.  The  spirit  of 
thanksgiving  and  congratulation  throbbed  in  every  heart. 
During  the  earlier  part  of  the  evening  Doctor  and  Mrs.  Duffield 
played  the  part  of  host  and  hostess  and  received  all  the  guests, 
each  of  whom  shook  hands  and  expressed  their  good  wishes 
with  characteristic  Old  First  warmth  and  enthusiasm.  Near 
them  on  the  platform  where  they  stood  was  a  large  and  beau- 
tiful model  of  the  Church,  its  Tower  rising  to  the  height  of 
at  least  three  feet.  Illumined  by  electric  light  and  surrounded 
by  a  grove  of  palms  and  ferns,  it  added  a  uniquely  interesting 
feature  to  the  Festival.  Following  the  Greeting  Period,  Mr. 
Henry  Miller,  a  member  of  the  Choir,  sang  with  fine  effect  a 
group  of  "Songs  of  our  Forefathers."  Miss  Maud  Morgan, 
who  has  so  endeared  herself  to  the  Church  by  her  winning 

129 


personality,  as  well  as  her  marvellous  skill  as  an  artist,  ren- 
dered several  beautiful  selections  upon  the  harp. 

Mr.  Jaquith  then  announced  that  there  would  be  a  Roll  Call 
of  the  Members  of  the  Church.  First  he  read  the  names  of 
all  those  who  sent  no  reply  to  the  letter  he  wrote  them,  and  in 
which  he  requested  that  they  answer  and  let  him  know  wheth- 
er or  not  they  could  attend  the  Reception.  It  was  suggested 
that  if  any  of  these  were  present,  that  they  be  brave  enough  to 
stand  up  and  announce  their  presence.  Several  of  those  who 
had  forgotten  to  answer  the  letter  had  come.  Then  he  read  the 
names  of  those  who  sent  a  message  saying  that  they  could 
not  come.  One  was  read  from  Mrs.  Fairchild,  a  member  for 
more  than  fifty  years ;  another  from  Miss  Greenleaf,  whose 
membership  neared  the  mark  of  sixty-five  years ;  another  let- 
ter was  from  a  young  man  who  was  out  on  the  border,  but 
whose  heart  was  right  here!  This  was  followed  by  the  Roll 
Call  of  those  who  had  responded  and  who  were  present. 

After  another  musical  number.  Doctor  and  Mrs.  Duffield 
were  asked  to  step  to  the  door.  Twenty-five  of  the  young 
ladies  of  the  Church,  each  with  an  annunciation  lily  in  her  hand, 
entered  and,  crossing  the  back  of  the  room,  lined  up  on  either 
side  of  the  center  aisle.  Raising  their  lilies  and  crossing  them, 
as  soldiers  cross  their  swords  at  a  military  wedding,  they 
formed  a  floral  arcade,  through  which  Doctor  and  Mrs.  Duf- 
field  passed  to  the  platform.  As  they  walked  between  the  lines 
Dr.  Carl  played  the  chimes,  producing  a  most  beautiful  effect. 
Colonel  Olmstead  awaited  Doctor  and  Mrs.  Duffield  at  the  plat- 
form and  in  a  masterly  address  voiced  with  rare  eloquence  and 
tender  feeling  the  people's  grateful  appreciation  of  all  that 
their  Pastor  had  been  to  them  and  their  deep  and  abiding 
affection  for  him. 

Colonel  Olmstead  said : 
"Dear  Doctor  Dufifield : 

"Many  years  ago,  in  a  Southern  city,  it  fell  to  my  lot  to 
express  for  a  congregation  of  grateful  people  their  affection 
for  a  beloved  Pastor  upon  the  25th  anniversary  of  his  pas- 
torate. 

130 


To-night  that  experience  is  repeated  for  me.  It  is  now 
my  happy  privilege  to  speak  for  this  people,  your  people,  to 
tell  you  in  their  behalf,  how  deeply  their  hearts  are  stirred 
by  this  occasion,  how  warm  their  sympathy  with  the  emotions 
that  must  fill  your  breast,  how  sincere  their  thankfulness  to 
Almighty  God  that  the  bond  which  unites  you  to  themselves, 
which  was  created  twenty-five  years  ago,  has  grown  in  strength 
and  vigor  with  the  passage  of  time  and  now  knits  our  hearts 
together  indissolubly. 

Twenty-five  years — how  short  a  period  in  the  history  of  a 
world,  yet  how  long  to  the  individual  experience.  We  look 
back  upon  our  own  lives,  and  to  each  one  of  us  the  retrospect 
lengthens  as  the  mind  dwells  on  details  without  number.  The 
hours  and  days  and  months  and  years  have  been  so  full  that  we 
measure  them  no  more  by  the  ordinary  standards  of  time,  but 
rather  by  what  they  have  brought  to  us  of  joy  or  sorrow,  hap- 
piness or  care,  prosperity  or  adversity.  If  this  be  so  with 
each  individual  one  of  us,  much  more  with  you  who  in  addi- 
tion to  the  happenings  of  your  daily  life  have  been  called  upon 
through  sympathy  and  because  of  your  holy  office,  to  bear  our 
burdens  and  trials  as  well.  And  if,  perchance,  this  has  made 
the  years  seem  long  to  you  there  is  the  all  compensating  circum- 
stance that  the  slender  tie  of  1891  has  become  the  riveted  steel 
of  1916. 

We  congratulate  you,  dear  Pastor,  upon  all  that  has  been 
accomplished  for  the  material  interests  of  the  Church  during 
these  twenty-five  years,  recognizing  that  the  result  has  been 
due  to  your  personal  efifort.  It  is  a  thing  for  you  to  be  proud 
of,  and  for  us  to  be  grateful  for.  But  most  of  all  do  we  bless 
God  that,  throughout  your  ministry  amongst  us,  the  Cross  of 
Christ  has  been  preached  with  faithfulness  and  power.  From 
your  lips  we  have  heard  no  uncertain  sound,  no  fanciful  doc- 
trine, no  strained  interpretation  of  the  Scriptures,  but  'the 
pure  milk  of  the  Word,'  continuous  demonstrations  of  'the 
faith  once  delivered  to  the  Saints.' 

We  congratulate  you,  also,  upon  the  coincidence  between  your 
anniversary  and  the  Two  Hundredth  Anniversary  of  this  dear 
Church.     Fitting  is  it  that  they  should  fall  together,  to  remind 

131 


us  that  as  we  now  look  back  upon  the  saintly  labors  of  the 
long  line  of  consecrated  men  who  dug  deep  these  founda- 
tions and  reared  high  this  bulwark  against  sin  and  unright- 
eousness— even  so  future  generations  will  revert  to  this,  your 
era,  with  hearts  aflame  with  gratitude  to  God. 

Because  of  these  things,  beloved  Pastor,  your  people  find 
it  impossible  to  permit  this  occasion  to  pass  without  some  tan- 
gible expression  of  their  love  and  appreciation.  And  be- 
cause it  is  desired  that  the  Dear  Lady  who  stands  by  your  side 
(she  who  in  her  own  way  has  been  a  joint  minister  with  you 
through  all  these  years),  because  we  wish  her  to  share  in  what 
is  going  out  from  our  hearts  to  you,  I  am  commissioned  to 
ask  your  acceptance  of  a  gift  that  may  brighten  and  beautify 
the  domestic  board,  that  center  of  the  home,  where  her  grace- 
ful hospitality  has  so  charmed  in  the  days  that  are  past,  and 
will  continue  to  charm  in  the  days  to  come.  The  Committee 
upon  whom  devolved  the  selection  of  the  gift,  found,  after  it 
had  been  provided,  that  more  and  more  of  the  congregation 
were  wishful  to  take  part  in  this  expression  of  affection. 
Their  later  contributions  have  been  put  into  the  pure  gold 
'coin  of  the  realm'  fit  emblem  of  the  purity  and  strength  of 
their  feeling  for  you. 

My  dear  Pastor,  in  many  a  man's  life  there  is  found  a  sea- 
son of  storm  and  trial  when  rivers  of  affliction  seem  to  sweep 
him  away  from  everything  fixed  and  stable,  out  into  a  shore- 
less ocean,  where  waves  and  billows  of  adversity  overwhelm 
and  beat  upon  his  head.  God  grant  that  such  may  never  be 
your  portion,  but  that  happiness  alone  may  fill  up  the  measure 
of  your  days. 

Yet  come  what  will,  come  what  may,  your  people  would 
point,  in  evidence  of  their  unfailing  affection,  to  the  words 
engraved  upon  one  of  these  pieces  of  silver,  'Many  waters 
cannot  quench  Love.'  All  things  else  may  pass  away  and 
come  to  naught,  but  our  love  for  you  is  abiding.  Love  is'  of 
God,  the  sweet  antidote  for  every  sorrow  of  earth,  the  eternal 
joy  of  heaven." 

"Many  waters  cannot  quench  Love." 

132 


At  the  close  of  his  speech  he  presented  them  with  a  beautiful 
sterling  silver  Tea  Set,  four  Candle-sticks  and  a  Purse  of  one 
hundred  and  fifty  dollars  in  gold.  The  following  words  were 
inscribed  on  the  Tea  Pot,  "Many  waters  cannot  quench  love." 

In  a  brief  response  Dr.  Dufifield  spoke  of  the  sheer 
impossibility  of  putting  into  speech  the  emotions  which  such 
circumstances  awakened,  referred  to  the  days  of  stress  and 
strain  through  which  he  and  the  people  had  passed,  and  which 
had  welded  them  together  in  bonds  of  peculiar  intimacy,  em- 
phasized the  fact  that  to  the  manifest  interposition  of  Gk)d  was 
due  the  deliverance  of  the  Church  from  the  perils  with  which 
it  had  been  menaced,  noted  the  large  share  which  Mrs.  Duf- 
field  had  taken  in  bearing  burdens,  and  inspiring  courage  in 
the  dark  hours,  and  reminded  the  people  that  she  was  a  gift 
to  him  from  the  Old  First,  felicitated  the  congregation  upon 
the  circumstances  which  made  their  entrance  upon  the  third 
century  of  the  Church's  ministry  so  fraught  with  promise, 
expressed  his  deep  gratitude  at  having  been  permitted  to  serve 
with  them  for  so  long  a  term  of  years,  and  the  hope  that  he 
would  be  able,  during  whatever  time  of  service  might  yet  re- 
main for  him,  to  put  into  deeds  the  story  of  his  love  for  them, 
which  he  could  never  put  into  words. 

As  the  flower  girls  returned  to  the  back  of  the  room,  each 
one  presented  Mrs.  Duffield  with  her  lily,  making  one  blos- 
som for  each  of  the  twenty-five  years  that  Doctor  and  Mrs. 
Duffield  had  been  connected  with  the  Old  First.  Refreshments 
were  served,  followed  by  a  short  social  hour  of  heart  warm- 
ing fellowship,  which  crowned  an  evening  never  to  be  for- 
gotten. 


133 


CONSECRATION  DAY 

Sunday,  December  the  Tenth,  11  A.  M. 

The  Holy  Communion 

So  far  as  was  possible,  the  entire  membership  of  the  Church, 
both  those  in  active  service  and  those  who  had  removed  be- 
yond its  bounds,  but  retained  affihation  with  it,  were  notified 
of  this  proposed  regathering  of  the  family  at  the  Communion 
Table,  and  were  urged  to  make  a  special  effort  to  be  present. 

Invitations  were  also  sent  to  those  associated  with  the 
Church  in  former  times,  whose  names  and  work  were  ever 
cherished  in  the  Church's  recollection.  The  response  was 
large  and  sympathetic.  The  congregation  which  assembled 
for  this  tender  service,  to  express  their  adoring  sense  of  the 
divine  goodness,  and  to  render  their  fealty  to  the  God  of  their 
fathers,  filled  the  Church,  and  was  representative  of  the  vari- 
ous circles  to  whom  the  Old  First  Church  was  a  golden  center 
of  life.  Doctor  Duffield  was  assisted  in  the  celebration  of  the 
Communion  by  the  Reverend  Doctor  Robert  Mackenzie,  Secre- 
tary of  the  College  Board,  and  the  Reverend  Doctor  James 
Oscar  Boyd,  Pastor  of  the  Church  of  the  Redeemer,  Paterson, 
New  Jersey.  Dr.  Mackenzie  had  ministered  to  the  Church 
so  steadily  during  the  long  illness  of  Doctor  Duffield  that  a 
feeling  of  pastoral  relationship  had  grown  up  between  the 
People  and  himself.  Doctor  Boyd  was  the  one  son  of  the 
Church  who  had  entered  the  gospel  ministry  during  the  pres- 
ent pastorate,  and  his  honored  father  had  been  an  Elder  in 
the  first  days  of  Doctor  Duffield's  New  York  ministry,  a  wise 
counsellor,  an  efficient  worker,  and  a  true  friend. 

Mr.  Robert  Ferguson,  who  occupied  a  chair  in  the  Session 
during  the  opening  of  the  pastorate,  and  had  upheld  the  Pas- 
tor's hands  during  many  of  its  most  trying  hours,  was  happily 
present,  and  aided  in  the  distribution  of  the  elements,  as  did 
Doctor  Benjamin  G.  Demarest,  whose  devotion  to  the  Church, 
and  enthusiastic  desire  to  promote  its  interests,  found  expres- 

134 


sion  in  the  gift  of  the  Huguenot  Window.  The  Members  of 
the  Session  present  and  assisting  in  the  Celebration  of  the 
Sacrament  were,  Mr.  James  K.  Andrews,  Mr.  Paul  Caldwell, 
Mr.  Charles  E.  Davis,  Mr.  James  Henry,  Mr.  Henry  C.  Martin, 
Mr.  Robert  G.  Parr,  Mr.  Roger  H.  Williams, 
-^t  eleven  o'clock,  while  a  beautiful  chorale  of  Bach's  was 
being  played  upon  the  organ,  the  Ministers  and  Elders  entered 
the  Church  through  the  Chapel  Door,  Doctor  Mackenzie  tak- 
ing the  large  chair.  North  of  the  pulpit.  Doctor  Boyd  that  upon 
the  South  side,  Doctor  Duffield  the  Chair  at  the  right  side  of 
the  table,  and  the  members  of  the  Session  their  accustomed 
seats. 

"**-  The  opening  services,  including  the  Institution  of  the  Sacra- 
ment and  the  Invitation  to  the  Table,  were  conducted  by  the 
Pastor.  Doctor  Boyd  and  Doctor  Mackenzie  then  took  the 
seats  at  either  end  of  the  Communion  Table,  Doctor  Dufifield 
occupying  the  chair  vacated  by  Doctor  Boyd.  After  the 
quotation  of  appropriate  Scripture  and  a  Consecrating  Prayer, 
Doctor  Boyd  distributed  the  Bread.  A  moving  address  was 
made  by  Doctor  Mackenzie,  who  then  distributed  the  Wine, 
and  closed  the  Celebration  with  a  Prayer  of  Thanksgiving. 
After  Christ's  "Benediction  of  Peace"  had  been  sung  by  the 
Choir,  Doctor  Duffield  took  his  place  behind  the  Table,  and 
spoke  a  few  sentences  concerning  the  "Communion  of  Saints," 
.emphasizing  the  presence  and  participation  in  all  these  services 
of  that  great  "cloud  of  witnesses"  who  through  the  long  years 
of  two  centuries  had  given  themselves  to  its  work,  and  of  whose 
prayers  and  faith  and  sacrifice  this  great  festival  of  the 
Church's  Bi-Centennial  was  the  happy  fruition. 

The  Sacramental  Service  was  concluded  with  the  Apostolic 
Benediction,  "Now  the  God  of  Peace,  that  brought  again  from 
the  dead  our  Lord  Jesus,  that  great  Shepherd  of  the  sheep, 
through  the  blood  of  the  everlasting  covenant,  make  you  per- 
fect in  every  good  work  to  do  His  will,  working  in  you  that 
which  is  well  pleasing  in  His  sight  through  Jesus  Christ,  to 
whom  be  glory  forever  and  ever.     Amen." 


135 


CONSECRATION  DAY 

Sunday,  December  the  Tenth,  8  P.  M. 

The  Choral  Service 

The  Bi-Centennial  Week  closed  with  the  "sevenfold  sym- 
phonies and  harping  hallelujahs"  of  "The  Messiah."  The  eve- 
ning of  Sunday,  December  the  eleventh,  was  set  apart  for  the 
rendering  of  Handel's  masterpiece.  The  Choir,  who  by  their 
whole-souled  and  thorough  work  had  so  greatly  enriched  the 
Anniversary  Services,  was  for  this  occasion  largely  augmented, 
their  number  being  doubled.  Solo  singers  of  distinguished 
ability  had  been  secured.  Bechtel  Alcock,  Tenor;  Miss  Mar- 
garet Harrison,  Soprano;  Miss  Merle  Alcock,  Contralto,  and 
Mr.  Henry  Miller,  Bass. 

This  Service  was  presided  over  by  the  Reverend  Doctor 
Edward  M.  Deems,  Chaplain  of  the  Sailors'  Snug  Harbor,  to 
which  Institution  the  Old  First  Church  stands  in  such  close 
historic  relations.  With  him  in  the  Pulpit,  were  the  Reverend 
Doctor  Mackenzie,  the  Reverend  Doctor  Boyd,  and  the  Pastor 
of  the  Old  First  Church.  Opening  the  Service  with  a  Scrip- 
tural Salutation,  Doctor  Deems  read  as  a  Scripture  Lesson  the 
One  Hundred  and  Fifteenth  Psalm  and  pronounced  the  fol- 
lowing Collect,  with  which  it  is  the  custom  at  the  Old  First 
Church  to  preface  all  Choral  Services  and  Organ  Recitals: 

"O  God  Almighty,  and  All  Loving,  Who  hast  given  us 
hearts  that  hunger  for  beauty,  and  Who  by  the  voice  of  music 
doth  speak  to  our  souls  messages  that  are  sweet  and  wonder- 
ful and  passing  the  power  of  words,  make  us  grateful  to  Thee 
for  the  privilege  of  this  hour,  and  cause  its  influences  to  bright- 
en and  enrich  our  lives,  and  to  bring  them  into  harmony  with 
Thy  life.     Through  Jesus  Christ  Our  Lord.     Amen." 

136 


The  following  numbers  of  the  Oratorio  were  then  ren- 
dered : 

Overture 
Comfort  ye  my  people.  Rejoice  greatly. 

Every  valley  shall  be  exalted.      He  shall  feed  his  flock. 
And  the  glory  of  the  Lord.         Come  unto  Him. 
Thus  saith  the  Lord.  His  yoke  is  easy. 

But  who  may  abide.  He  was  despised. 

O  thou  that  tellest.  Lift  up  your  heads. 

For  unto  us  a  child  is  born.         Why  do  the  nations. 
Pastoral  Symphony.  Since  by  man  came  death. 

There  were  Shepherds.  By  man  also  came  the  Resur- 

Glory  to  God.  rection. 

I   know  that   My   Redeemer 
liveth. 
Hallelujah  Chorus 

The  solemn  dignity  of  the  old  Gothic  interior,  the  power 
and  beauty  of  the  familiar  words  and  the  well  known  har- 
monies, the  sympathetic  and  skilful  interpretations  of  the  sing- 
ers, the  intelligent  and  masterful  accompaniment,  and  leading 
of  the  Musical  Director,  and  the  uplifting  consciousness  of  the 
occasion,  blended  in  a  presentation  of  "The  Messiah"  that  car- 
ried its  sublime  message  home  to  every  heart.  The  exalted 
devotional  feeling  which  took  possession  of  the  great  congre- 
gation of  listeners  was  remarkable.  The  art  of  the  composer, 
and  the  skill  of  the  performers,  were  alike  forgotten  in  the  deep 
emotion  with  which  all  were  stirred  by  the  spiritual  content  of 
the  Oratorio. 

The  Hallelujah  Chorus  had  been  transposed  from  its  place 
in  the  body  of  the  work  and  made  the  closing  number  of  this 
service.  As  the  trumpet-like  notes  of  the  introduction  sounded 
the  throng  rose.  As  the  thrilling  and  triumphant  "Hallelu- 
jahs" ceased,  instead  of  pronouncing  the  customary  Benedic- 
tion, Doctor  Duffield  spoke  the  following  words : 

"  'And  they  saw  no  man — save  Jesus  only.'  During  this 
wonderful  week  the  names  of  great  leaders  have  been  upon 
our  lips.  The  forms  of  devoted  servants  of  the  cross  have 
Been  in  our  thought.     We  have  had  a  vision  of  that  vast  com- 

137 


pany  of  men  and  women  and  little  children  who,  with  courage 
and  patience,  with  prayer  and  toil,  through  two  hundred  years, 
have  held  high  in  this  mighty  City  the  banner  of  the  cross. 
This  octave  of  services  reaches  its  climax  in  this  matchless  song 
to  the  "Messiah."  At  the  closing  moment  of  this  Celebration, 
all  names  pale  before  one,  as  the  brightness  of  the  stars  is  hid- 
den in  the  splendor  of  the  sun.  One  name  alone  thrills  our 
souls,  that  name  long  ago  written  upon  Calvary's  cross,  that 
name  which  bye  and  bye  all  intelligent  being  shall  ac- 
claim with  hallelujahs.  One  form  alone  enthralls  our  souls, 
the  form  of  Him  for  whom  our  fathers  lived  and  died,  of  Him 
whom  we  love  and  whom  we  serve,  of  Him  to  whom  this 
Church  shall  render  its  homage  and  its  ministry  until  time  shall 
be  no  more.  With  the  voices  of  the  past  thrilling  our  hearts, 
with  the  call  of  the  future  kindling  our  enthusiasms,  we  join 
the  song  of  the  ages,  we  anticipate  the  anthem  of  the  skies, 
and  cry — 'Worthy  is  the  Lamb  that  was  slain,  to  receive  power 
and  riches  and  wisdom  and  strength  and  honor  and  glory  and 
blessing,  forever  and  forever.     Amen  and  Amen." 

Thus,  with  ascriptions  of  praise  to  the  Divine  Christ,  the  Old 
First  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  City  of  New  York  entered 
upon  the  Third  Century  of  its  ministry. 


138 


THE  SUPPLEMENT 


139 


MINUTE  ADOPTED  BY  THE 

Presbytery  of  New  York  and  Sent  to  Every  Presbyterian 

Minister  in  the  City 

October  31st,  1916. 
Dear  Brother: 

This  year  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  of  this  City  will 
celebrate  the  200th  Anniversary  of  its  founding,  and  the  estab- 
lishment of  Presbyterianism  in  New  York  City.  Presbytery 
feels  that  such  an  important  event  should  be  noted  by  all  the 
congregations  under  its  care  and  to  this  end  the  following 
program  has  been  adopted: 

On  Sunday,  December  3rd,  in  the  Old  First  Church 
at  the  morning  service  the  Moderator  of  Presby- 
tery will  preside  and  there  will  be  an  historical  sermon 
by  the  Pastor,  Rev.  Howard  Duffield,  D.D.  In  the 
evening  in  the  same  Church  there  will  be  a  sermon 
commemorative  of  the  Ministers  who  have  served  in 
the  Old  First  pulpit.  On  this  same  day  Presbytery 
requests  that  all  the  churches  of  this  Presbytery,  as 
far  as  possible,  note  this  important  event  by  histor- 
ical sermons  or  by  such  references  as  shall  impress 
upon  the  minds  and  hearts  of  the  people  the  spirit  of 
Presbyterianism. 

Presbytery  has  decided  to  unite  with  the  Presby- 
terian Union  at  its  Annual  Dinner,  December  4th, 
in  the  celebration  of  this  Anniversary. 

Presbytery  recommends  that  on  Wednesday,  De- 
cember 6th,  at  eight  o'clock,  an  Anniversary  Service 
be  held  in  the  First  Church  in  which  the  wide  spread 
and  varied  influence  of  the  Church  be  reviewed  by 
representative  speakers.  Presbytery  is  to  attend  this 
service  in  a  body  and  it  is  to  be  regarded  as  the  mid- 
week meeting  for  the  Churches. 

By  Order  of  Presbytery, 

Fraternally  yours, 

Jesse  F.  Forbes, 
Stated  Clerk. 

141 


THE   ORGANIZATION   OF  THE  OLD   FIRST 
PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH 

December,  Nineteen  Hundred  and  Sixteen 

The  Pastor  of  the  Church, 
The  Reverend  Doctor  Howard  Duffield. 

The  Assistant  to  the  Pastor, 
Mr.  Harold  C.  Jaquith, 

The  Session, 
Colonel  Charles  H.  Olmstead,  Clerk. 
Roger  H.  Williams,  Treasurer. 
James  K.  Andrews.  James  Henry. 

Paul  Caldwell.  Henry  C.  Martin. 

Robert  G.  Parr. 

The  Board  of  Trustees, 
The  Pastor  and  the  Ruling  Elders. 
Roger  H.  Williams,  Secretary. 
James  Henry,  Treasurer. 

The  Board  of  Deacons, 
J.  Randolph  Graham,  M.D.,  Chairman. 
James  W.  Durkee,  Clerk. 
Charles  L.  Thorne,  Treasurer. 

Ferdinand  Aufmkolk.  Henry  Hamilton. 

Harry  Best.  Frank  D.  Hutchins. 

Elmore  A.  Hall.  Robert  H.  McGowan. 

W.  Whitman  Neilson.  J.  R.  K.  Sharp. 

The  Church  Visitor, 
Miss  Alice  Salt. 

Organist  and  Musical  Diretcor, 
Dr.  William  C.  Carl. 

Soloists, 
Miss  Margaret  Harrison,  Soprano. 
Mr.  Henry  Miller,  Baritone. 

142 


Sexton, 
Benjamin  W.  Lewis. 

Societies  and  Clubs, 
Graded  Bible  School — Classes  for  all  ages. 
Christian  Endeavor  Society — President  Miss  Gallagher, 
Junior  Endeavor  Society — Leader,  Miss  Salt. 
Women's  Missionary  Society — President  Mrs.  Duffield. 
Mothers'  Meeting — Leader,  Miss  Salt. 
Industrial  School — Superintendent,  Mrs.  Duffield. 
Women's  Work  Meeting — First  Directress,  Miss  Evans. 
Old  First  Girls'  Club — President,  Miss  Cushier 
Senior  Girls'  Club — Girls  from  16-20. 
Intermediate  Girls'  Club — Girls  from  14-16. 
Old  First  Fraternity — Young  men  over  18. 
Senior  Boys'  Club — Boys  from  16-18. 

Intermediate  Boys'  Club — Boys  14-16,  Mr.  Duncan  Ferris. 
E.  H.  T.  Boys'  Club — Boys  from  12-15,  Mr.  Harry  Schroeder. 
Junior  Boys'  Club — Boys  under  14,  Ferdinand  Aufmkolk. 

The  Flower  Committee, 
Mrs.  Wilking  B.  Cooley,  Chairman. 
Miss  Elizabeth  Davis.  Miss  Pansy  Fiske. 

Miss  Winifred  Duffield.         Miss  Rhoda  Geddes. 

Holy  Communion 
The  Holy  Communion  will  be  celebrated  at  11  A.  M.  on  the 
second  Sunday  of  February,  April,  June,  October  and  De- 
cember, and  at  8  P.  M.  on  the  second  Sunday  of  January, 
March,  May  and  November.  The  Sacrament  of  Baptism  will 
be  administered  in  connection  with  any  Service  if  due  notice 
be  given  to  the  Pastor. 


143 


THE  INVITED  GUESTS 

The  Honorable  Woodrow  Wilson, 

President  of  the  United  States. 
The  Honorable  Theodore  Roosevelt, 

Ex-President  of  the  United  States. 
The  Honorable  William  Howard  Taft, 

Ex-President  of  the  United  States. 
Major  General  Hugh  Lenox  Scott, 

Chief  of  Staff  of  the  United  States  Army. 
Major  General  Leonard  Wood  and  Staff. 
Rear  Admiral  Nathaniel  L.  Usher  and  Staff. 
The  Honorable  Charles  S.  Whitman  and  Staff. 

Governor  of  the  State  of  New  York. 
The  Honorable  John  Purroy  Mitchel, 

Mayor  of  the  City  of  New  York. 
Mr.  Eugenius  H.  Outerbridge, 

President  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce. 
The  Heads  of   Departments  of  the  Municipal   Government. 
The  President  of  the  Board  of  Aldermen. 
The  Justices  of  the  Supreme  Court. 
The  Judges  of  the  Appellate  Division. 
The  Judges  of  the  Court  of  General  Sessions. 
Doctor  John  H.  Finley, 

Commissioner  of  Education  in  the  State  of  New  York. 
Nicholas  Murray  Butler,  LL.D., 

President  of  Columbia  University. 
Chancellor  Ellsworth  Elmer  Brown,  LL.D. 

President  of  the  University  of  the  City  of  New  York. 
Sidney  Mezes,  LL.D., 

President  of  the  College  of  the  City  of  New  York. 
The  Reverend  Doctor  John  Grier  Hibben,  D.D.,  LL.D., 

President  of  Princeton  University. 
The   Reverend   Doctor   Charles   Alexander   Richmond, 

D.D., 

President  of  Union  College. 
The  Reverend  Doctor  J.  Ross  Stevenson,  D.D.,  LL.D., 

President  of  Princeton  Theological  Seminary. 

144 


The    Board    of    Directors,    Trustees    and    Faculty    of 

Princeton  Theological  Seminary. 
The    Board    of    Directors,    Trustees    and    Faculty    of 

Union  Theological  Seminary. 
The  Brick  Presbyterian  Church. 
The  Rutgers  Presbyterian  Church. 
The  Fifth  Avenue  Presbyterian  Church. 
The  Spring  Street  Presbyterian  Church. 
The  Presbyterian  Church  on  University  Place. 
The  Greenwich  Presbyterian  Church. 
The  Reverend  Doctor  David  James  Burrell,  D.D.,  LL.D., 

Senior  Minister  of  the  Collegiate  Reformed  Church,  and  a 

Delegation  of  its  Ministers. 
The  Pastor  of  the  French  Huguenot  Church 

and  his  Officers  and  People. 
The  Right  Reverend  David  Greer,  D.D.,  LL.D., 

Bishop  of  the  Episcopal  Church,  and  a 

Delegation  of  his  Clergy. 

The  Reverend  Doctor  Luther  B.  Wilson,  D.D.,  LL.D., 
Bishop  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  a 
Delegation  of  his  Clergy. 

The  Lutheran  Churches. 

The  Baptist  Churches. 

The  Congregational  Churches. 

The  Young  Men's  Christian  Association. 

The  Salvation  Army. 

The  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

The  Board  of  Home  Missions  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

The  Board  of  Church  Erection  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

The  College  Board  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

The  American  Bible  Society. 

The  New  York  City  Bible  Society. 

The  City  Mission  Society. 

The  Seamen's  Friend  Society. 

The  Port  Society. 

The  Marine  Society. 

The  Society  of  Mayflower  Descendants. 

The  Society  of  Colonial  Wars  in  the  State  of   New  York. 

145 


The  Society  of  Colonial  Dames  in  the  State  of  New  York. 

The  Society  of  Colonial  Dames  in  the  State  of  New  Jersey. 

The  Society  of  the  Cincinnati. 

The  Society  of  the  Sons  of  the  Revolution. 

The  Knickerbocker  Chapter  D.  A.  R. 

The  Military  Society  of  the  War  of  1812,  and 

The  Veteran  Corps  of  Artillery  of  the  State  of  New  York. 

The  Huguenot  Society  of  America. 

The  Holland  Society. 

Saint  Nicholas  Society. 

Saint  Andrews  Society. 

Saint  David's  Society. 

Saint  George's  Society. 

The  New  York  Historical  Society. 

The  City  Historical  Society. 

The  City  History  Club. 

The  American  Scenic  and  Historic  Preservation   Society. 

The  Washington  Square  Association. 


146 


THE  ORDER  OF  THE  PROCESSION 
AT  THE  FESTIVAL  SERVICE 

Wednesday,  December  the  Sixth,  1917,  8  P.  M. 

I. 

The  Reverend  Doctor  Howard  Duffield, 
Minister  of  the  Old  First  Presbyterian  Church. 

II. 

The  Presbytery  of  New  York. 

III. 
The  Officers  and  Members  of  Churches  Colonized  from  the 
Old  First  Church. 

IV. 
The  Officers  of  the  Boards  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the 
United  States  of  America. 

V. 
The  Representatives  of  Religious  and  Philanthropic  Societies. 

VI. 

The  Delegates  from  other  Communions. 

VII. 
The  Pastors  of  Pre-Revolutionary  Churches. 

VIII. 

The  Speaker.s  and  Their  Escorts 

The  Reverend  Doctor  George  F.   Nelson,   Canon  of   the 

Cathedral  of  Saint  John  the  Divine,  representing 
The  Right  Reverend  Doctor  David  H.  Greer,  Bishop  of 

the  Episcopal  Diocese  of  New  York,  escorted  by  Mr.  Law. 
The  Reverend  Doctor  Luther  B.  Wilson,  Bishop  of  the 

Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  escorted  by  Mr.  Sharpe. 
Mr.  Eugenius  H.  Outerbridge,  President  of  the  New  York 

Chamber  of  Commerce,  escorted  by  Dr.  Demarest. 

147 


The  Reverend  Doctor  George  Alexander,  Pastor  of  the 

Presbyterian   Church   on  University   Place,   escorted  by 

Mr.  Davis, 
The  Reverend  Doctor  William  Pierson  Merrill,  Pastor 

of  the  Brick  Presbyterian  Church,  escorted  by  Mr.  Parr. 
The  Reverend  Doctor  John  Grier  Hibben,  President  of 

Princeton  University,  escorted  by  Mr.  Williams. 
The  Reverend  Doctor   J.   Ross   Stevenson,   President  of 

Princeton  Theological  Seminary,  escorted  by  Mr.  Henry. 
The    Reverend    George    J.    Russell,    Moderator    of    the 

Presbytery  of  Long  Island,  escorted  by  Mr.  Martin. 
The  Reverend  Doctor  Harlan  G.  Mendenhall,  Moderator 

of  the  Synod  and  the  Presbytery  of  New  York,  escorted 

by  Mr.  Thorne. 
The  Honorable  Charles  S.  Whitman,  Governor  of  the 

State  of  New  York,  escorted  by  Mr.  Andrews. 
The  Reverend  Doctor  John  A.  Marquis,  Moderator  of  the 

General   Assembly   of   the   Presbyterian    Church   in   the 

United  States  of  America,  escorted  by  Colonel  Olmstead. 


148 


THE  ORDER  OF  WORSHIP 
AT  THE  FESTIVAL  SERVICE 

Wednesday,  December  the  Sixth,  at  Eight  P.  M. 

Organ — Reformation  Symphony,   .         .         .     Mendelssohn 

Processional — 

Through  the  night  of  doubt  and  sorrow 

Onward  goes  the  pilgrim  band. 
Singing  songs  of  expectation, 

Marching  to  the  promised  land ; 
Clear  before  us  through  the  darkness, 

Gleams  and  burns  the  guiding  light; 
Brother  clasps  the  hand  of  brother. 

Stepping  fearless  through  the  night. 

One  the  light  of  God's  own  presence 

O'er  His  ransomed  people  shed. 
Chasing  far  the  gloom  and  terror. 

Brightening  all  the  path  we  tread, 
One  the  object  of  our  journey. 

One  the  faith  that  never  tires. 
One  the  earnest  looking  forward, 

One  the  hope  our  God  inspires : 

One  the  strain  that  lips  of  thousands 

Lift  as  from  the  heart  of  one, 
One  the  conflict,  one  the  peril 

One  the  march  in  God  begun; 
One  the  gladness  of  rejoicing 

On  the  far  eternal  shore 
Where  the  One  Almighty  Father 

Reigns  in  love  for  evermore. 

149 


Onward,  therefore,  pilgrim  brothers, 

Onward,  with  the  cross  our  aid ; 
Bear  its  shame,  and  fight  its  battle, 

Till  we  rest  beneath  its  shade ; 
Soon  shall  come  the  great  awakening, 

Soon  the  rending  of  the  tomb; 
Then  the  scattering  of  all  shadows. 

And  the  end  of  toil  and  gloom.    Amen. 

The  Minister  shall  begin  the  Service  by  pronouncing  the 
following  Salutation,  the  People  standing: 

The  Lord  bless  thee  and  keep  thee. 

The  Lord  make  His  face  to  shine  upon  thee  and  be  gracious 
unto  thee. 

The  Lord  lift  up  His  countenance  upon  thee  and  give  thee 
peace.    Amen. 

Then  the  Minister  shall  read  the  following  Sentences  : 

God  is  a  Spirit,  and  they  that  worship  Him  must  worship 

Him  in  spirit  and  in  truth. 

Our  fathers  trusted  in  Thee ;  they  trusted  and  Thou  didst 

deliver  them. 

Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul,  and  all  that  is  within  me  bless 

His  holy  name.    Amen. 

Then  the  Minister  shall  read  the  following  Responses  : 
The  Lord  be  with  you 
And  with  thy  Spirit. 
Lift  up  your  hearts 
We  lift  them  up  unto  the  Lord. 
Let  us  give  thanks  unto  the  Lord  our  God 
It  is  meet  and  right  so  to  do. 

Then  the  Minister  and  the  People  shall  say  the  Lord's  Prayer  : 
Our  Father  which  art  in  heaven,  hallowed  be  Thy  Name; 
Thy  kingdom  come ;  Thy  will  be  done  in  earth  as  it  is  in  heaven ; 
give  us  this  day  our  daily  bread ;  and  forgive  us  our  tres- 
passes, as  we  forgive  those  who  trespass  against  us ;  and  lead 
us  not  into  temptation,  but  deliver  us  from  evil ;  for  Thine  is 
the  kingdom  and  the  power,  and  the  glory,  forever.    Amen. 

150 


Then  shall  he  sung  by  the  Choir  the  Ancient  Canticle, 
known  as  the  "Ter-Sanctus." 
"Holy,  Holy,  Holy,  Lord  God  of  hosts, 
Heaven  and  earth  are  full  of  Thy  glory, 
Glory  be  to  Thee,  O  Lord  Most  High.    Amen." 

Then  shall  be  read  responsively  this  Selection  from  the 
Psalter,  followed  by  the  Gloria  Patri  : 

I  will  extol  thee,  my  God,  O  King;  and  I  will  bless  Thy 
name  forever  and  ever. 

Every  day  will  I  bless  Thee;  and  I  will  praise  Thy  name 
forever  and  ever. 

Great  is  the  Lord,  and  greatly  to  be  praised ;  and  His  great- 
ness is  unsearchable. 

One  generation  shall  praise  thy  works  to  another,  and  shall 
declare  thy  mighty  acts. 

I  will  speak  of  the  glorious  honour  of  Thy  majesty,  and  of 
Thy  wondrous  works. 

And  men  shall  speak  of  the  might  of  Thy  terrible  acts;  and 
I  will  declare  Thy  greatness. 

They  shall  abundantly  utter  the  memory  of  Thy  great  good- 
ness, and  shall  sing  of  Thy  righteousness. 

The  Lord  is  gracious,  and  full  of  compassion ;  slow  to  anger 
end  of  great  mercy. 

The  Lord  is  good  to  all ;  and  his  tender  mercies  are  over  all 
his  works. 

All  Thy  works  shall  praise  Thee;  O  Lord;  and  Thy  saints 
shall  bless  Thee. 

They  shall  speak  of  the  glory  of  Thy  kingdom,  and  talk  of 
Thy  power. 

To  make  known  to  the  sons  of  men  His  mighty  acts,  and  the 
glorious  majesty  of  His  kingdom. 

Thy  kingdom  is  an  everlasting  kingdom,  and  Thy  dominion 
endureth  throughout  all  generations. 

The  Lord  upholdeth  all  that  fall,  and  raiseth  up  all  those 
that  be  bowed  down. 

The  eyes  of  all  wait  upon  Thee ;  and  Thou  givest  them  their 
meat  in  due  season. 

151 


Thou  openest  Thine  hand,  and  satisfiest  the  desire  of  every 
living  thing. 

The  Lord  is  righteous  in  all  His  ways,  and  holy  in  all  His 
works. 

The  Lord  is  nigh  unto  all  them  that  call  upon  Him,  to  all  that 
call  upon  Him  in  truth. 

He  will  fulfill  the  desire  of  them  that  fear  Him:  He  will 
also  hear  their  cry,  and  will  save  them. 

The  Lord  preserveth  all  them  that  love  Him:  but  all  the 
wicked  will  He  destroy. 

My  mouth  shall  speak  the  praise  of  the  Lord:  and  let  all 
flesh  bless  His  holy  name  forever  and  ever. 

Glory  be  to  the  Father,  and  to  the  Son,  and  to  the  Holy 
Ghost; 

As  it  was  in  the  beginning,  is  now,  and  ever  shall  be;  world 
without  end.     Amen. 

Then  shall  the  Minister  offer  the  following  Prayer  of 
Thanksgiving: 
Almighty  God,  Father  of  all  mercies,  we  Thine  unworthy 
servants  do  give  Thee  most  humble  and  hearty  thanks  for  all 
Thy  goodness  and  loving  kindness  to  us,  and  to  all  men.  We 
bless  Thee  for  our  creation,  preservation  and  all  the  blessings 
of  this  life ;  above  all  for  Thine  inestimable  love  in  the  re- 
demption of  the  world  by  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ;  for  the 
means  of  grace,  and  for  the  hope  of  glory.  And  we  beseech 
Thee  give  us  that  due  sense  of  all  Thy  mercies  that  our 
hearts  may  be  unfeignedly  thankful,  and  that  we  show  forth 
Thy  praise,  not  only  with  our  lips,  but  in  our  lives ;  by  giving 
up  ourselves  to  Thy  service,  and  by  walking  before  Thee  in 
holiness  and  righteousness  all  our  days ;  through  Jesus  Christ 
Our  Lord,  to  whom,  with  Thee  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  be  all 
honour  and  glory,  world  without  end.     Amen. 

After  that  shall  be  sung  the  following  Hymn  : 
O  where  are  kings  and  empires  now 

Of  old  that  went  and  came? 
But,  Lord,  Thy  Church  is  praying  yet, 

A  thousand  years  the  same. 

152 


We  mark  her  goodly  battlements, 

And  her  foundations  strong; 
We  hear  within  the  solemn  voice 

Of  her  unending  song. 

For  not  like  kingdoms  of  the  world 

Thy  Holy  Church,  O  God ; 
Though  earthquake  shocks  are  threatening  her 

And  tempests  are  abroad ; 

Unshaken  as  eternal  hills, 

Immovable  she  stands, 
A  mountain  that  shall  fill  the  earth, 

A  house  not  made  by  hands. 

Then  shall  the  following  Anniversary  Addresses  be  delivered: 

THE  OLD  FIRST  CHURCH  AND  HER  CHILDREN, 
The  Rev.  Dr.  William  Pierson  Merrill, 
Minister  of  the  Brick  Presbyterian  Church. 

THE  OLD  FIRST  CHURCH  AND  THE  WINNING  OF 
THE  WORLD, 
The  Rev.  Dr.  George  Alexander, 
President  of  the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions. 

THE  OLD  FIRST  CHURCH  AND  SOCIAL  SERVICE, 

Mr.  Eugenius  H.  Outerbridge, 

President  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce. 

THE  OLD  FIRST  CHURCH  AND  EDUCATION, 

The  Rev.  Dr.  John  Grier  Hibben, 

President  of  Princeton  University. 

The  Rev.  Dr.  J.  Ross  Stevenson, 

President  of  Princeton  Seminary. 

THE  OLD  FIRST  CHURCH  AND  THE  COMMON- 
WEALTH, 
The  Hon.  Charles  S.  Whitman, 
Governor  of  the  State  of  New  York. 

153 


Then  shall  be  sung  the  following  Hymn: 
God  bless  our  native  land; 
Firm  may  she  ever  stand 

Through  storm  and  night; 
When  the  wild  tempests  rave, 
Ruler  of  wind  and  wave, 
Do  Thou  our  country  save 

By  Thy  great  might. 

For  her  our  prayers  shall  rise 
To  God,  above  the  skies ; 

On  Him  we  wait ; 
Thou  who  art  ever  nigh. 
Guarding  with  watchful  eye, 
To  Thee  aloud  we  cry, 

God  save  the  State.    Amen. 

After  that  shall  he  given  a  Greeting  from  the  General 
Assembly. 

The  Rev.  Dr.  John  A.  Marquis, 

Moderator  of  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian 

Church  in  the  U.  S.  A. 

Then  shall  he  said  hy  the  Minister  and  the  People  the  Apostles' 
Creed: 

I  believe  in  God  the  Father  Almighty,  Maker  of  heaven 
and  earth: 

And  in  Jesus  Christ,  His  only  Son,  our  Lord ;  who  was  con- 
ceived by  the  Holy  Ghost ;  born  of  the  Virgin  Mary ;  suffered 
under  Pontius  Pilate;  was  crucified,  dead,  and  buried;  He 
descended  into  hell ;  the  third  day  He  rose  again  from  the 
dead ;  He  ascended  into  heaven ;  and  sitteth  on  the  right  hand 
of  God  the  Father  Almighty;  from  thence  he  shall  come  to 
judge  the  quick  and  the  dead. 

I  believe  in  the  Holy  Ghost;  the  holy  Catholic  Church;  the 
Communion  of  Saints ;  the  Forgiveness  of  sins ;  the  Resur- 
rection of  the  body;  and  the  Life  everlasting.    Amen. 

Then  shall  he  sung   hy   the   People   the   Old   Hundredth 

DOXOLOGY. 

154 


"Praise  God  from  whom  all  blessings  flow 
Praise  Him  all  creatures  here  below 
Praise  Him  above  ye  heavenly  host 
Praise  Father,  Son  and  Holy  Ghost." 

After   that   shall    he    sung    by    the    Choir   an    "Alleluia" 
according  to  an  ancient  musical  form. 

Then  shall  the  Minister  offer  the  following  Prayer  : 

Our  Heavenly  Father  we  give  Thee  most  hearty  thanks  for 
those  Thy  servants  whom  Thou  didst  so  long  ago  call  to 
found  this  Church.  We  thank  Thee  for  that  company  of  their 
children  who  in  unbroken  succession  have  continued  their 
work  until  this  hour.  We  thank  Thee  for  the  faith  and 
patience  wherewith  they  wrought  our  splendid  heritage,  and 
we  humbly  pray  that  we  may  be  so  baptised  with  the  spirit 
of  our  fathers,  that  the  noble  principles  bequeathed  to  us  by 
them,  may  be  by  us  transmitted  to  the  generations  follow- 
ing,— all  of  which  we  ask  in  the  name  and  for  the  sake  of  Jesus 
Christ,  Our  Lord.    Amen. 

O  Lord  Our  God,  we  beseech  Thee  not  only  for  Thy  favor 
upon  this  Church  and  People,  but  also  that  Thou  wilt  bless 
Thy  whole  Church,  in  this  land,  and  throughout  the  world. 
Gather  Thy  true  people  into  the  unity  of  the  faith,  and  take 
from  them  all  bitterness  and  unkindness,  all  needless  divisions 
and  misunderstandings.  May  grace,  mercy  and  peace  be  mul- 
tiplied unto  all  who  love  Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  in  sincerity. 
Pour  out  Thy  Holy  Spirit  upon  all  men,  and  hasten  the  time 
when  every  people  shall  be  blessed  with  the  knowledge  of 
Thee,  and  of  Thy  Son,  Jesus  Christ,  Our  Lord.     Amen. 

After  that  shall  the  Minister  pronounce  the  Benediction  : 

The  peace  of  God  which  passeth  all  understanding  keep 
your  hearts  and  minds  in  the  knowledge  and  love  of  God 
and  of  his  Son,  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord;  and  the  blessing  of 
God  Almighty,  the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  be 
amongst  you  and  remain  with  you  always.     Amen. 

155 


Recessional — 

Forward!  be  our  watchword, 

Steps  and  voices  joined; 
Seek  the  things  before  us, 

Not  a  look  behind ; 
Burns  the  fiery  pillar 

At  our  army's  head ; 
Who  shall  dream  of  shrinking, 

By  Jehovah  led? 
Forward  through  the  desert, 

Through  the  toil  and  fight ; 
Jordan  flows  before  us, 

Zion  beams  with  light. 

Forward,  flock  of  Jesus 

Salt  of  all  the  earth 
Till  each  yearning  purpose 

Spring  to  glorious  birth ; 
Sick,  they  ask  for  healing 

Blind,  they  grope  for  day ; 
Pour  upon  the  nations 

Wisdom's  loving  ray. 
Forward  out  of  error, 

Leave  behind  the  night ; 
Forward  through  the  darkness. 

Forward  into  light. 

Glories  upon  glories 

Hath  our  God  prepared. 
By  the  souls  that  love  Him 

One  day  to  be  shared ; 
Eye  hath  not  beheld  them. 

Ear  hath  never  heard ; 
Nor  of  these  hath  uttered 

Thought  or  speech  or  word. 
Forward,  marching  eastward 

Where  the  heaven  is  bright. 
Till  the  veil  be  lifted, 

Till  our  faith  be  sight. 

156 


Far  o'er  yon  horizon 

Rise  the  City  towers, 
Where  our  God  abideth ; 

That  fair  home  is  ours : 
Flash  the  streets  with  jasper. 

Shine  the  gates  with  gold ; 
Flows  the  gladdening  river, 

Shedding  joys  untold. 
Thither,  onward  thither. 

In  Jehovah's  might ; 
Pilgrims  to  your  country, 

Forward  into  light! 

PosTLUDE — Choral  Song, Wesley 


i57 


THE  OLD  COMMUNION  SILVER 
By  Charles  H.  Olmstead,  Clerk  of  Session 

Very  few  persons  in  the  Congregation  are  aware  of  the  his- 
toric interest  attached  to  our  Old  Communion  Service,  as  re- 
vealed upon  the  flagons,  cups,  and  plates  themselves.  Most  of 
us  have  seen  them  only  when  in  use,  under  circumstances  that 
obviously  forbade  anything  like  a  critical  examination.  It  has 
been  thought  desirable,  therefore,  to  give  a  short  account  of 
them  that  we  may  know  how  intimately  they  connect  us  with 
the  blessed  company  of  the  godly  men  and  women  who  are 
our  spiritual  ancestors  in  this  beloved  Church,  and  who  have 
long  passed  from  the  militant  to  the  triumphant  stage  of  Chris- 
tian experience. 

The  Service  (irrespective  of  the  individual  cups  recently 
adopted)  consists  of  the  following  articles  of  massive  silver: 
Two  large  Flagons,  two  smaller  Flagons,  eight  Cups,  eight 
Plates  of  ordinary  size  and  two  very  large  Plates. 

There  is  good  reason  for  believing  that  the  plainer  of  the 
two  small  Flagons,  three  Cups  given  by  Anna  Peartree  and 
three  Plates  given  by  Peter  R.  Livingston  made  up  the  first  set. 
The  inscriptions  upon  the  Cups  read  as  follows : 

"Ex  Dong  Anna  Peartree, 

In  unsum  Ecclesiae  Christi  Presbyterianae 

apud  Neo  Eboracenses." 

And  on  one  of  the  Cups  is  the  date  1730.  The  Three  Plates 
simply  bear  the  words  upon  the  outer  rim : 

"Ex  Dong  Peter  R.  Livingston." 

The  Flagon  has  no  mark  upon  it,  and  is  perfectly  plain,  but 
it  is  exactly  of  the  same  style  of  heavy,  beaten  silver  as- the 
cups  and  plates  described. 

As  all  the  rest  of  the  silver  (except  three  Plates  and  one 
Cup  of  decidedly  modern  make)  have  later  dates  upon  them,  it 
is  not  a  violation  of  the  probabilities  to  say  that  for  one  hun- 

158 


dred  and  eighty-five  years  we  have  been  debtors  to  the  gener- 
osity of  Anna  Peartree  and  Peter  R.  Livingston. 

In  the  early  years  of  the  last  century  it  is  evident  that  the 
Service  was  beginning  to  be  too  small  for  the  demands  upon 
it,  for  in  1812  a  number  of  gifts  of  silver  were  made  by  vari- 
ous members  of  the  Congregation.  It  may  be  noted  that  the 
inscriptions  upon  all  of  these  were  in  English,  "The  Gift  of"  so 
and  so  "to  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  City  of  New 
York,  1812,"  thus  differentiating  them  from  the  earlier  in- 
scriptions, which  were  in  Latin,  and  tending  to  give  strength 
to  the  assumption  as  to  what  pieces  formed  the  first  set.  These 
later  gifts  were  as  follows: 

Two  stately  and  beautiful  Flagons,  that  are  at  the  right  and 
left  of  the  Table  on  every  Communion  occasion.  These  were 
respectively  the  gifts  of  William  Edgar  and  Daniel  McCor- 
mick. 

Two  Cups  given  by  David  Gelston. 

One  Plate  given  by  Daniel  McCormick. 

One  Plate  given  by  Samuel  Campbell. 

There  is  no  way  of  learning  when  or  how  the  Church  came 
into  possession  of  the  unmarked  articles. 

In  the  same  year,  1812,  two  very  large  Plates  were  given  by 
Robert  Lenox  and  Brockholst  Livingston,  respectively.  These 
were  probably  intended  for  taking  up  the  benevolent  collec- 
tions, which  must  have  been  very  generous  if  we  may  judge 
by  the  size  of  the  receptacles  provided  for  them. 

In  1896  the  spirit  of  giving  for  Communion  purposes  was 
again  awakened  and  two  beautiful  Cups  were  presented  by  the 
Ladies'  Missionary  Society  and  by  an  honored  and  beloved 
Elder,  Mr.  Thomas  Greenleaf,  respectively. 

A  description  of  the  second  smaller  Flagon  has  been  left 
for  the  last.  It  is  elaborately  ornate,  a  very  beautiful  and 
unique  piece  of  silver.  On  the  side  opposite  the  handle  a 
coat  of  arms  is  engraved  and  above  the  date  the  words :  "A 
legacy  of  Mr.  Jeremiah  Owen  to  the  Presbyterian  Church  in 
New  York,  1756."  Upon  the  lid  in  repousse  work  is  what  is 
believed  to  be  a  reproduction  of  some  medal  struck  in  1634  in 
honor  and  in  memory  of  the  great  Gustavus  Adolphus,  "the 

159 


Protestant  hero"  as  he  was  called  in  his  day,  the  conqueror  of 
Tilly  and  Wallenstein  in  the  Thirty  Years'  religious  War  of 
that  century.  It  will  be  remembered  that  he  was  killed  in  the 
victorious  battle  of  Lutzen,  in  1632,  and  the  medal  shows  him 
in  the  form  of  Death,  a  skeleton  riding  triumphantly  in  his 
chariot  over  a  prostrate  dragon.  A  figure  stands  on  each  side 
of  him,  one  an  armed  warrior,  the  other  a  female  holding  a 
wreath  over  his  head  with  the  left  hand,  while  with  the  right 
she  clasps  a  Bible  surmounted  by  a  burning  lamp.  Above  is 
the  inscription,  "Et  vita  et  morte  triumpho."  The  whole  is 
surmounted  by  this  legend,  in  which  it  will  be  seen  that  there 
is  elision  in  several  of  the  words: 

"Dux  Glorios  Principus  Heros  Invict.  Victor  Incomparab 
Triumph  Felix  et  Ger,  Liberator." 

Enough  has  been  said  to  establish  in  these  sacred  vessels  a 
strong  link  to  bind  us  to  the  past  history  of  the  Church;  we 
are  brought  in  touch  with  the  pious  emotions  that  prompted 
the  givers  and  led  them  to  desire  to  associate  their  names  with 
every  gathering  of  God's  people  around  His  Table. 


160 


THE  MURAL  TABLETS 
Passing  through  the  central  portal  of  the  Church  fronting 
upon  Fifth  Avenue,  the  visitor  to  the  Old  First  Church  is  at 
once  attracted  by  the  generous  roominess  of  vestibule,  its  tiled 
floor,  its  vaulted  roof  and  its  double  row  of  triple  arches, 
through  the  central  one  of  which  stairways  ascend  to  the  gal- 
leries. Upon  the  division  wall,  between  the  vestibule  and  the 
main  body  of  the  Church  to  the  right  of  the  entrance,  is  one 
of  the  few  pre-revolutionary  relics  which  New  York  still 
possesses.  It  is  a  large  Mural  Tablet  of  black  slate  beauti- 
fully inscribed  with  a  Latin  legend,  of  which  the  following  is 
a  translation : 

"Under  the  favor  of  God  this  edifice,  sacred  to  the 
perpetual   celebration   of   the   Divine   worship,   first 
erected  in  1719,  was  again  thoroughly  repaired  and 
built  larger  and  more  beautiful  in  1748.     The  Pres- 
byterians of  New  York  founding  it  for  their  own  and 
their  childrens  use,  in  this  Votive  Tablet  dedicate  it 
to  the  God  who  gave  it.     May  it  be  yet  more  illus- 
triously adorned  by  Religion,  by  Concord,  by  Love, 
by  Purity  of  Faith,  of  Worship  and  of  Discipline. 
May  it,  by  the  favor  of  Christ,  endure  throughout 
many  generations." 
A  corresponding  tablet  of  white  marble  to  the  left  of  the 
entrance  door  is  blazoned  with  the  names  of  the  Church  Offi- 
cers at  the  time  of  the  erection  of  the  present  building.     Among 
these  groups  of  names,  almost  all  of  which  are  well  known  to 
those  familiar  with  the  history  of  the  city,  are  to  be  noted 
those  of  John  Broome    (whose   family  name  was  given   to 
Broome    Street),    David   L.    Dodge    (father   of    William   E. 
Dodge,  Sr.),  Daniel  H.  Wickman  (so  honorably  associated  with 
.the  Mayoralty),  Brockholst  Livingston,  J.  Kearney  Rodgers, 
Milton  St.  John,  Maltby  Gelston,  James  Boyd  and  others — 
a  cluster  of  personalities  whose  character  and  influence  are 
not  only  the  heirlooms  of  the  "Old  First,"  but  who  have  en- 
riched the  entire  community  with  the  wealth  of  their  example 
and  achievement. 

161 


Just  inside  the  Church  a  beautiful  screen  of  wood  and  glass 
crosses  the  entire  building  behind  the  pews,  spanning  the  aisles 
with  low  arches.  The  graceful  spring  of  the  roof,  with  its 
rare  and  effective  groining;  the  noble  and  chancel-like  pulpit 
with  its  rich  accompaniment  of  harmonious  furnishings;  the 
chairs  for  the  clergy,  the  seats  for  the  elders  and  the  Com- 
munion Table;  the  fine  Gothic  design  of  the  gallery  front  and 
the  lancet  windows,  at  once  claim  attention  and  are  full  of 
interest  and  charm.  The  walls  are  adorned  with  a  series  of 
Memorial  Tablets.  Some  of  recent  date  commemorate  con- 
spicuous workers  in  the  Church,  such  as  Mr.  Aaron  Belknap 
and  Mr.  Latimer  Bailey.  Within  the  pulpit  recess  a  marble 
has  been  placed  in  memory  of  Dr.  William  Wirt  Phillips,  who 
served  the  Church  during  its  longest  pastorate.  Nearby  in 
front  of  the  left  gallery  stands  a  memorial  to  his  wife.  Just 
beneath  this  gallery  are  two  stones  in  honor  of  John  Broome, 
an  early  Lieutenant  Governor  of  New  York,  and  John  Rod- 
gers,  an  eminent  Professor  in  Columbia  College,  both  Elders 
in  the  "Old  First."  Beneath  the  opposite  gallery  a  richly 
carved  tablet  is  reared  to  the  memory  of  that  merchant  prince, 
Mr.  Robert  Lenox,  who  not  only  himself  held  office  in  the 
Church,  but  his  whole  family  have  always  been  so  conspicu- 
ously identified  with  its  life.  Just  inside  the  left  entrance 
door  is  a  tablet  of  striking  design  to  the  memory  of  General 
Alexander  McDougall,  of  whom  Washington  said:  "He  was 
a  brave  soldier  and  a  disinterested  patriot."  He  was  an  Elder 
of  the  Church,  was  one  of  the  leaders  of  the  "Sons  of  Liberty," 
served  with  distinction  in  the  Revolutionary  War  and  became 
equally  prominent  in  political  and  commercial  affairs.  His 
name,  as  well  as  that  of  Lieutenant  Governor  Broome,  has 
been  perpetuated  in  one  of  the  city  streets. 


162 


THE  MEMORIAL  WINDOWS 

Stained  glass  is  not  a  mere  architectural  ornament,  but  plays 
an  important  and  eloquent  part  in  the  ministry  of  the  House 
of  God.  A  Gothic  Church  building  is  the  embodiment  in 
stone  of  the  primitive  forest  shrine,  with  its  mysterious  sense 
of  the  brooding  presence  of  exuberant  and  unfathomable  life. 
The  clustering  tree-trunks,  with  their  over-arching  branches 
and  interlacing  boughs,  are  outlined  in  the  stately  columns,  the 
groined  roof,  the  shadowy  aisles,  and  the  lancet-like  windows. 
The  play  of  the  light  through  the  forest  spaces,  tempered  by 
the  greenness  of  the  leaf,  figured  and  broidered  by  the  ara- 
besque traceries  of  vine  and  tendril,  and  sufifused  with  the 
snowy  whiteness  of  the  cloud,  aglow  with  the  sapphire  radi- 
ance of  the  sky,  or  dyed  with  the  rich  hues  of  the  flowers,  took 
enduring  form,  under  the  skilful  touch  of  the  artist,  in  the 
translucent  stains  of  the  glass.  The  scenes  of  Scripture,  the 
lives  of  the  martyrs  and  confessors,  the  heroic  and  thrilling 
incidents  of  the  Church's  history,  were  blazoned  as  on  an 
illuminated  missal ;  and  these  wondrous  transparencies  of  the 
old  cathedrals  became  known  as  Biblia  Panperum — the  Bibles 
of  the  Poor.  Every  eye  could  read  their  language.  To  every 
heart  they  spoke  their  message. 

After  such  a  fashion,  the  Windows  of  this  venerable  Church 
are  like  mystic  scrolls,  bearing  a  message  to  all  who  are  seek- 
ing to  know  the  Will  of  God,  and  to  do  the  Work  of  God. 
Upon  the  North  Wall  stand  a  row  of  those  chosen  personalities, 
who,  during  many  ages,  and  in  various  forms  of  speech,  but 
under  the  dominance  of  one  divine  will,  were  privileged  to  voice 
the  Word  of  God  to  His  children  in  this  world.  Along  the 
South  Wall  of  the  Church  are  ranged  a  group  of  those  who, 
through  the  centuries,  having  heard  in  their  hearts  the  divine 
call,  wrought  masterfully  to  realize  the  Will  of  God,  by  making 
the  world  sweeter  and  humanity  nobler.  The  Word  of  God 
and  the  Work  of  God,  for  which  this  Church  stands,  are 
builded  visibly  into  the  Church's  walls.  As  in  the  ancient  pal- 
ace, the  stone  cried  out  of  the  wall  and  the  beam  out  of  the  tim- 
ber, so  long  as  this  Church  shall  stand  these  Windows  shall 

163 


sound  the  note  of  the  Church's  spirit  and  the  Church's  service. 

In  connection  with  the  dedication  of  the  Luther  Window, 
the  following  article  was  written  by  Mrs.  Laura  C.  Dunlap, 
the  Editor  in  charge  of  the  Church  News  Department  of  the 
"Globe"  (March  6,  1915)  : 

"An  interesting  history  attaches  to  the  ten  memorial  win- 
dows which  will  soon  fill  all  the  openings  in  the  beautiful 
Gothic  structure  standing  in  its  little  park,  where  fullest  value 
is  given  to  the  richly  tinted  stained  glass  by  the  unobstructed 
light  on  both  sides.  When  the  Rev,  Dr.  Howard  Dufifield 
came  to  the  Church  twenty- four  years  ago  he  felt  that  the  aus- 
terity of  the  massive  gray  walls  and  the  dark  Gothic  furni- 
ture of  the  Church  required  the  softening  influence  of  rich 
coloring.  So  he  planned  a  series  of  Memorial  Windows  to  be 
placed  on  both  sides  of  the  auditorium,  and  one  by  one  as  the 
years  have  passed  they  have  been  taken  until  after  nearly  a 
quarter  of  a  century  the  last  one  has  been  supplied. 

"On  the  North  side  of  the  building  the  series  symbolizes  the 
literary  elements  of  the  Holy  Scriptures.  First,  'Moses'  rep- 
resenting the  law.  This  was  placed  by  the  Young  People's 
Society  in  memory  of  Algernon  Sydney  Sullivan,  its  founder 
and  first  president.  Next  comes  'David'  representing  sacred 
poetry.  This  window,  which  was  erected  some  years  ago  by 
Mrs.  Hersey  in  memory  of  her  father,  J.  D.  T.  Hersey,  an 
elder  in  the  Church,  is  directly  opposite  the  Luther  Window  to 
be  unveiled  to-morrow.  Tsaiah,'  the  prophet,  follows.  This 
Eugene  Mcjimsey  placed  in  memory  of  one  of  his  ancestors, 
Elder  John  Keese,  who  was  also  a  Trustee  of  the  Church.  'St. 
John,'  representing  Gospels,  was  the  gift  of  Thomas  Green- 
leaf,  the  father-in-law  of  Dr.  Duffield,  in  memory  of  his 
father,  Joseph  Greenleaf,  for  many  years  an  Elder  and  Trus- 
tee. An  interesting  fact  noted  in  connection  with  the  donor 
of  this  Window  is  that  Dr.  Duffield's  children  are  sixth  in 
line  of  the  original  Greenleaf  members  of  this  Church.  Last 
comes  'St.  Paul'  representing  the  doctrinal  element  of  the 
Scriptures.  This  was  given  in  his  memory  by  the  family  of 
Professor  Richard  Harrison  Bull,  an  Elder. 

"On  the  South  side  of  the  Church  the  Windows  are  filled 

164 


with  figures  symbolizing  the  historic  forces  which  enter  into 
the  evangeHcal  Church.  These  are,  in  order,  the  'Walden- 
sians,'  represented  by  Peter  Waldo;  the  'Reformation'  by 
Martin  Luther;  the  'Huguenots'  by  Admiral  Coligny;  the 
'Scotch  Presbyterian  Church'  by  St.  Columba,  and  the  'English 
Protestant  Reformation'  by  the  Puritan.  This  last  Window 
was  put  in  by  the  Church  Officers  at  the  time  when  the  parish 
house  was  built  some  twenty  years  ago,  and  was  the  first  to 
be  erected.  It  was  designed  by  Maitland  Armstrong,  as  were 
the  'Moses'  and  'St.  Paul'  Windows,  and  the  figure  was  so 
beautiful  that  it  served  as  the  model  for  the  'Puritan'  in  the 
Century  Dictionary.  The  Scotch  Presbyterian  Window  with 
its  figure  of  St.  Columba  was  presented  by  Mrs.  Emily  H. 
Moir  in  memory  of  William  Moir,  an  Aberdeen  Scotchman, 
who  was  the  Treasurer  and  an  Elder  of  the  Church.  This 
Window  was  from  the  Tiffany  Studios  as  was  the  'Prophets' 
Window.  The  'St.  John'  Window  was  designed  by  Francis 
Lathrop. 

"The  'Old  First'  is  in  fact  a  fascinating  Church.  It  will 
soon  be  two  hundred  years  old.  It  is  the  parent  of  the  Scotch, 
Brick,  Rutgers  and  Fifth  Avenue  Churches.  It  has  witnessed  a 
removal  from  Wall  Street  to  its  present  site  at  Fifth  Avenue 
and  Twelfth  Street,  and  has  been  there  seventy-five  years  re- 
sisting all  attractive  offers  to  remove  further  uptown,  and 
enjoy  the  comforts  which  the  sale  of  its  magnificent  site  would 
provide.  Instead,  the  Church  now  uses  its  endowment  to  pro- 
vide institutional  classes  and  recreation  for  its  changing  con- 
gregation and  the  neighborhood.  It  is  just  a  year  since 
Tannenbaum  and  his  army  of  anarchists  invaded  the  Church, 
prepared  to  dare  the  hostile  treatment  of  a  wealthy  congrega- 
tion, and  instead  were  received  with  brotherly  kindness  and 
every  man  provided  with  a  supper  and  a  bed. 

"Such  is  the  First  Presbyterian  Church.  There  is  some- 
thing doing  every  day  in  the  week.  It  was  one  of  the  first  to 
utilize  motion  pictures.  It  was  the  first  among  Presbyterian 
Churches  to  be  open  every  day.  It  is  not  closed  in  summer  and 
its  lawn  services  are  quite  the  most  delightful  of  downtown 
summer  gatherings.  There  is  nothing  old  fogy  about  the  'Old 
First.'     It  is  in  the  forefront  of  all  modern  movements." 

165 


VOTIVA  TABULA 


AuspiCANTE  Deo 

Hanc  Aedem 

CuLTui  DiviNO  Sacram 

in  perpetuum 

Celebrando 

A.  D.  MDCCXIX 

Primo  Fundatam, 

Denio  penitus  Reparatam, 

Et  Ampliorem  et  Ornatiorem 

A.  D.  MCCXLVIII 

constructam, 

Neo-Eborascenses  Presbyteriani 

In  Suum  et  Suorum  Usum 

Condentes, 

In  hac  Votiva  Tabula 

D.  D.  D. 

*        *        *        * 

Concordia,  Amore, 

Necnon,  Fidei,  Cultus  et  Morum 

puritate 

SUFFUETA,    ClARUISQE,    ExORNATA 

Annuente  Christo 

Longum  perduret  in 

Aevum. 


THE  VOTIVE  TABLET 


By  the  Favor  of  God 

This  Holy  House 

For  the  Perpetual  Celebration 

OF  Divine  Worship 

first  erected  in 

A.  D.  1719 

then  thoroughly  repaired 

enlarged  and  adorned  in 

A.  D.  1748 

is  in  this  Votive  Tablet 

DEVOTED      DONATED      DEDICATED 

BY  its  Founders 

The  Presbyterians  of  New  York 

FOR  THEIR  own  AND  THEIR  CHILDREN'S  USE 

Sustained  and  More  Splendidly  Adorned 

By  the  Harmony  and  Love 

of  their  Faith,  Worship  and  Way  of  Living 

Under  the  Blessing  of  Christ 

May  it  Endure  for  Ages 


THE   LOTUS    PRESS 
Wm.  F,  Andres,  Pres. 

NEW    YORK 


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